There's no questioning that Starfield is a big deal. Bethesda hasn't made a new IP in a long time, so from the moment Starfield was announced, it was bound to turn heads. However, since nobody knew when Bethesda planned on releasing Starfield, and it didn't reveal much other information about the game. That changed in 2021, as fans now know that Starfield is just under a year away, with Bethesda planning to release its spacefaring RPG in late 2022.
Since the release date for Starfield is getting closer, Bethesda's behavior toward the game is probably about to change. The days of Todd Howard dropping cryptic hints about the sci-fi game during interviews may be over. As 2022 comes around, Bethesda is bound to double down on Starfield publicity. Even though the game won't release for about a year, since Starfield is a brand-new member of the Bethesda family, the studio should do everything in its power to give Starfield a warm welcome.
Early 2022 May Be Starfield's Time
Starfield's status as a new Bethesda IP means a lot to both fans and the studio itself. Although Bethesda Softworks is known for publishing a plethora of games, like the latest Wolfenstein entries and 2022's Redfall, the Bethesda Game Studios side has worked on nothing but Fallout and The Elder Scrolls since the early 2000s. While it's exciting to see Bethesda try something new, it also means Bethesda has to work hard to sell the Starfield brand, establishing this young concept as a worthy companion to Bethesda's long-lived and influential franchises. In other words, early 2022 might mark the beginning of major Starfield publicity.
Bethesda also just got another big project out of the way. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim turned 10 years old in 2021, and so Bethesda prepared a special anniversary edition of the game. Considering how far Bethesda has gotten by riding the success of Skyrim, it makes sense that it was the center of Bethesda's focus. However, by early 2022, Skyrim Anniversary Edition will have had plenty of time to get settled, which means Bethesda can turn to its next game on the horizon: Starfield.
Starfield has no new Bethesda games to compete with for publicity. The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development, but it's years away, and fans have hardly heard anything about Fallout 5. Bethesda can make Starfield the sole star of 2022, possibly starting in the year's earliest months. Anyone excited for Bethesda's next big adventure should prepare themselves to hear a lot more about the game in a few months. After all, there's a lot that fans still don't know about Starfield.
Potential Upcoming Starfield Promotions
Considering how little of Starfield has actually been shown by Bethesda so far, it's not hard to imagine what kinds of content it'll whip up to get players excited. A gameplay trailer is certainly a big-ticket item. Although it's easy to assume that Starfield plays a lot like Bethesda's other RPGs, there could be any number of differences that Bethesda has kept hidden. In 2022, fans are bound to get multiple trailers exploring core gameplay components of Starfield, from combat to exploration and NPC interactions.
There's another type of trailer that could crop up in 2022: lore explainers. Bethesda has already released a few videos explaining some major locations in Starfield, so it seems likely that Bethesda will make more of these spotlight-style videos moving forward. After all, there's no way a spacefaring adventure like Starfield is built around just these three cities. The places Bethesda has shown off so far are surely just the tip of the iceberg.
Much like the city teaser trailers that Bethesda has put out, it's likely some major Starfield NPCs or factions will get explainer videos in 2022. Players already know that Starfield has a complicated society at its heart, but there's still a lot of details left to explain. Important characters that will help or hinder the player character remain largely unknown to fans. NPC reveal trailers will be especially valuable for Starfield if there's a wide range of original alien races to explain. Although players might not get to become aliens in Starfield, there could still be some important alien NPCs shaping the game's story.
A Big Year for Bethesda
Bethesda has its work cut out in 2022. Advertising Starfield seems like a top priority considering how many other big games it has to compete with, and how much of Starfield it has yet to reveal. It wouldn't be surprising if Bethesda waited a few months to get its 2022 advertising push started, letting big games like Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Horizon Forbidden West, and Elden Ring get out of the way first. By spring 2022, Starfield news will probably start to pick up in order to build momentum for the November 2022 release.
While the plausible incoming wave of Starfield advertisements will be a lot of work for Bethesda, it should certainly be a boon for fans. After spending so many years asking basic questions and hearing no answers, a year full of Starfield explainers sounds like the perfect change of pace. Starfield may remain mysterious for a couple more months, but the wait for the game is hopefully drawing to a close. If Starfield is anything like Fallout or The Elder Scrolls, then odds are it'll be an adventure worth waiting for.
Starfield releases on November 11, 2022 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.