Three years after initially filing the trademark, Bethesda parent company ZeniMax files a new trademark application for a mysterious project titled "Starfield."

Three years ago, Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax filed a trademark application for a mysterious project called "Starfield." Since the application, no announcements, news, or any hints have been dropped about Starfield, and the only thing of note that Bethesda released during that time was a little game called Fallout 4. While Bethesda is currently busy working on the first batch of DLC for Fallout 4, it appears that Starfield remains on the studio's priority list.

ZeniMax filed a new trademark application for Starfield with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on April 11, which suggests that it has secretly remained in development over the last three years. Interestingly, this new application is the fourth trademark that ZeniMax currently holds for Starfield. While the other three trademarks cover areas such as T-shirts, and computer and console games, this new trademark is specifically for mobile games.

This doesn't necessarily mean that Starfield is a mobile game, only that it could be. But given Bethesda's plan to make more mobile games, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Starfield could be the studio's second major mobile title after Fallout Shelter.

Starfield could also be one of Bethesda's three longer-term projects that were mentioned a few weeks ago. With the opening of Bethesda's new Montreal studio just a few months ago, it's possible that the new development team have been secretly focusing on Starfield this whole time, given that the Canadian branch focuses on mobile, console, and PC projects.

On the other hand, Starfield might actually be the studio's next big RPG, seeing as how Bethesda have recently started hiring new programmers for a new "bleeding-edge RPG." Couple that with the new mobile game trademark application, as well as Bethesda's previous statement on not "making small things", perhaps Starfield will be the studio's next combined mobile and console game project, not unlike Fallout 4 and Fallout Shelter.

One thing is for sure, 2016 is shaping up to be another big year for Bethesda. With the long-awaited DOOM reboot releasing in May, Fallout 4's massive Far Harbor DLC coming soon, and some new announcements expected for Dishonored 2, Starfield is just one in a long list of exciting things that Bethesda has in store for gamers in the upcoming months.

With Bethesda planning a second showcase for E3 2016, perhaps that will be the place where we will get some idea on what Starfield is.

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office (via GameSpot)