Former Bethesda Dev Doubts Starfield 2 Will Happen: 'Starfield Wasn't Successful Enough'

Bethesda is still actively developing new DLC for Starfield, but don't hold your breath for a sequel. In a recent interview with FRVR, former Bethesda Lead Systems Designer Kurt Kuhlmann expressed skepticism about a potential Starfield 2. "I don't think Starfield was anywhere near successful enough to do a Starfield 2," he said. This comes as no shock, given the game's divisive reception since launch, though IGN's own review was mostly positive. Our reviewer Dan Stapleton wrote: "Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist." Kuhlmann also reflected on the game's ambition, suggesting that a sequel could have improved upon the original: "It's, in a way, too bad, because I think with the lessons learned on Starfield, a Starfield 2 could have been much closer to the game that Todd [Howard] had [in mind]." While Starfield has seen numerous improvements since release and more are planned, it clearly didn't meet Todd Howard's pre-launch ambitions. Nevertheless, Howard reaffirmed support for the game in July, stating: "As we enter Year 3, we'll continue expanding the Settled Systems with new stories, targeted gameplay improvements, and additional updates, while preparing for the launch of new Starborn content next year." Despite these efforts, it's unlikely that updates alone will reverse the game's fortunes. Instead, Bethesda appears fully focused on The Elder Scrolls VI (still years away) and has tasked Obsidian with developing a new Fallout game. Even if a new Starfield were in the works, it would be years before we'd hear about it. For now, it's safe to assume a sequel won't happen anytime soon.