Regardless of Shattered Space, Starfield’s Loss Can Be TES 6’s Gain

Over six months on from the release of Bethesda’s long-awaited Starfield and the ambitious open-world title has still yet to hit its stride with players. Despite the frenzy of excitement surrounding Starfield in the years leading up to its launch, the game’s sometimes clunky mechanics and stilted storytelling left some gamers who had been hoping for Skyrim in space feeling underwhelmed. But even as Bethesda continues work on the Shattered Space DLC with hopes of winning back players who felt burned by the game upon release, it may be The Elder Scrolls 6 that stands to benefit the most from Starfield’s failure to launch.

With the release of Shattered Space, Bethesda has an opportunity to rehabilitate its reputation somewhat ahead of the launch of The Elder Scrolls 6. Using this DLC to show that it is still focused on giving gamers a best-in-class RPG experience would allow Bethesda to assuage some players’ worries about the future of its other famous franchise. By working to right Starfield’s wrongs and following it up with a strong launch for The Elder Scrolls 6, the developer could potentially even regain its former glory.

Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC Faces an Uphill Battle

Scheduled to launch in 2024, the Shattered Space DLC for Starfield promises to give the game a second shot. But given the laundry list of complaints many players have about the base game, from its menu-heavy mechanics to the copy-and-paste nature of many of Starfield’s quests, Bethesda has plenty of work to do if it hopes to bring the gameplay in Starfield in line with players’ expectations.

While this may not bode well for the future of Starfield as a franchise, it could prove to be a boon for Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls 6. By being willing to listen to players’ concerns and working to rectify them with the Shattered Space DLC, Bethesda could prove that it was still dedicated to delivering some of the innovative, expansive, and enjoyable RPGs in the industry. If Bethesda takes this tack and manages to get back in players’ good graces with Shattered Space, following it up with a drama-free launch for The Elder Scrolls 6 should be its next priority.

Easily one of the most anticipated games currently in development, a solid launch for the long-awaited The Elder Scrolls 6 could help repair Bethesda’s now somewhat diminished reputation following the mixed reception to Starfield. While releasing the game in a wholly bug-free and perfectly polished state could prove to be virtually impossible given the massive scope of its RPGs, Bethesda should still work to avoid repeating some of Starfield’s most egregious mistakes.

This means making sure that the issues with poor PC performance and broken quests in Starfield that plagued players following the game’s launch aren’t repeated with The Elder Scrolls 6. Bethesda also needs to ensure that the side content available in the game avoids the cookie-cutter feel of many of the missions in its sci-fi RPG. While it’s likely that The Elder Scrolls 6 will employ the use of procedurally generated quests like Starfield did, Bethesda should refine this system to avoid having players running across duplicate dungeons throughout the campaign.

By learning lessons from Starfield’s lackluster launch and ensuring that The Elder Scrolls 6 ships in a solid state, Bethesda has the chance to win back fans underwhelmed by its recent releases. A strong showing for Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC paired with a smooth release of The Elder Scrolls 6 would be a winning combination that wouldn’t just please fans, but also help the company regain its role as one of the most respected and revered RPG developers in the industry.

The Elder Scrolls 6

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks