Starfield crosses 13 million players as Bethesda Game Studios confirms Shattered Space expansion is coming in 2024

Bethesda Game Studios' science-fiction title has crossed a new milestone since launch.

What you need to know

• Bethesda Game Studios revealed that Starfield has crossed 13 million players since its launch earlier this year. 
• The team reiterated features that are coming in future updates, such as City Maps, as well as providing more detail on gameplay difficulty tweaks that'll be added. 
• Bethesda Game Studios also confirmed that Shattered Space, the first expansion for Starfield, is set to launch in 2024.

Bethesda Game Studios' science-fiction role-playing game reached a new milestone in time for the holidays. 

The team shared on Wednesday that Starfield crossed 13 million players, a new high after the title saw 10 million players a few weeks after its launch at the start of September earlier in the year. Bethesda Game Studios notes that the average player has put 40 hours into Starfield.

Bethesda Game Studio also reiterated how it's looking to launch updates to the game around every six weeks in 2024, with features on the way like an City Maps, new ways of traveling, and official mod support via a new Creation Kit. The team revealed players will be able to customize their gameplay experience further in the future, adjusting "carry capacity, cargo access distance, ship damage, vendor credits, how you suffer afflictions, new survival mechanics," and more. 

When does Starfield get its first DLC?

While we've known for some time that there would be DLC content released for Starfield beyond the free updates, Bethesda also shared on Wednesday that Shattered Space, the game's first expansion, is meant to launch in 2024. This paid content will include "new story content, new locations, new gear, and much more," while being included at no extra cost for anyone who has bought the Starfield Digital Deluxe Edition. 

Analysis: Success in the stars

These numbers are good to see, and I'm sure it's nice to know your game is popular as everyone winds down for the holidays. I am curious how the average of 40 hours playtime per player is calculated, as I know some people have likely put in hundreds, if not thousands of hours across New Game+ and beyond. 

The cadence of updates being promised for next year is extremely exciting and meaningful for players on Xbox and Windows PC alike, if the team can stick to it. I'm especially excited by Shattered Space launching next and seeing just where this first expansion will explore. Hopefully we also get confirmation of DLC beyond that first paid outing.

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