Starfieldnews has been quite stale lately, as Bethesda has remained silent since the launch of its first DLC last fall.Shattered Space, a cosmic horror-inspired expansion, failed to pull in a lot of players, leavingStarfieldin a tough situation with its next DLC. This leavesStarfieldin a similar situation toDiablo 4, as the latter also faced heavily mixed reception with its first expansion,Vessel of Hatred.
On the surface,StarfieldandDiablo 4are vastly different games, but both franchises had similar post-launch aspirations. Annual expansions were the original plan for developers Bethesda and Blizzard. But, afterVessel of Hatredwasn’t the hit that Blizzard expected, thenextDiabloDLC has been delayed until 2026. This throws a wrench into Blizzard’s initialDiablo 4plans, but it’s ultimately for the best, andStarfieldshould follow suit.
Starfield Following in Diablo 4’s Footsteps by Delaying its Second Expansion May Be the Best Path Forward
Shattered Space’s Interesting Premise Failed to Stick the Landing
In the base game, House Va’ruun is simply hinted at. Companion Andreja was once part of the mysterious religious group, but many of the details surrounding the faction were kept in the dark. That’s what made the promise ofShattered Spaceso fascinating. While the DLC dove deeper into the lore and culture of House Va’ruun, the story and its teased horror elements fell flat. Critiques of the expansion mentioned the short length as another big issue withShattered Space, and although the nextStarfieldDLC could be far more satisfying, allowing it to have extra time in the oven may be the best way to actually guarantee success.
The average time to beat the main story ofShattered Spaceis around 7 to 10 hours.
Bethesda Shouldn’t Rush Into Expanding Starfield
The base version ofStarfieldfaced a rocky launch, as well. After mixed reviews for both its core story andShattered Space, Bethesda can’t really afford to rush its next chapter of the sci-fi game. Despite the game’s divisive nature,Starfieldstill has plenty to offer for sci-fi lovers, but taking the time to ensure thatShattered Space’s follow-up is stronger will only be beneficial in the long run.
No expansion forDiablo 4this year stings a little bit, but it’s worth the risk if it means players get the expansion they have hoped for. Delays aren’t necessarily fun, but if it means a game ultimately gets to be stronger, then waiting longer for more content can be a lot more rewarding.Bethesda has bold ambitions forStarfield, and if the developer wants to see those goals met, then being flexible with post-launch plans is a must.
There have been rumors suggestingStarfieldcould be coming to the PS5 sometime in the future, but this has yet to be officially confirmed by Bethesda or Microsoft.
June 8 Could Shine a Light On Starfield’s Future Plans
Right now, there’s no telling what theXbox Games Showcase 2025has in store for fans, but it wouldn’t be surprising ifStarfieldwas present in some way. Even if the next DLC is announced at this event, it could still very well be revealed that it has been pushed back.
Of course, only time will tell. Bethesda may have the release date for its next expansion already locked in. Whatever path Bethesda chooses to take withStarfield’s second DLC, it will be interesting to see what the expansion’s story will be about.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
