Xbox and Bethesda recently announced a joint showcase for this summer, where the two companies will show off future games as well as new additions for Game Pass. Fans can mark their calendars for the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase as Sunday, June 12 at 10 am PT/12 pm CT. Now, the companies didn’t mention what would be there, but it’s almost certain Starfield will be there.
Starfield releases in November, and yet so little is known about the game. Almost all of the hype comes from the fact that it’s the first new Bethesda IP in decades. Fans will just have to wait to learn more, but a new rumor has gained traction lately that there’s more than one Starfield project in the works. Some believe that a Starfield MMO is in the works, too.
Of course, as with all rumors, fans should take this with a big grain of salt. It makes a lot of sense on the one hand, but nothing is confirmed on the other. Not to mention, if these rumors are true in the slightest, it will probably be years before anything is confirmed. It doesn’t make sense, for example, to release Starfield this holiday season and an MMO for it in Spring 2023.
Starfield MMO Could Be In Development
As seen above, YouTuber Skullzi has gathered some information that all hints at a new game in development, but just because there is potential evidence does not mean there is concrete evidence. The biggest piece of evidence comes in the form of job postings, hinting that Bethesda Austin, Bethesda Montreal, and Zenimax Online Studios are all working on a new game.
The language involved in the first two cites an unannounced project (post-Elder Scrolls/Starfield announcements), while the latter does mention a new IP. It also mentions vehicles, which would add up with current Starfield leaks. A former Bethesda employee recently leaked a few Starfield details, and they mention being able to fly spacecraft. Connecting the two is not a huge stretch.
Technically speaking, Starfield is a new IP and so that job posting doesn’t nullify this theory. It’s not even out yet. The theory is that AT LEAST these three studios are collectively working on a game. It makes sense since Montreal is usually an assist studio, and while Zenimax Online has the experience of an MMO in Elder Scrolls Online, supporting MMOs is a huge strain on resources. Two of them would make an already hard development cycle even worse, so it adds up. Some of these job postings have been edited or removed, for potentially various reasons
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On top of that, Austin is responsible for Fallout 76. It’s not exactly an MMO, but this online experience would likely go a long way in making a Starfield MMO a reality. Overall. it does make more sense that these studios are working on one unannounced project based on a new IP than it is they are all working on new games. They could be separate, but that would be more unusual than several developers working together on a big, future project—the standalone Starfield MMO.
Coupled with this is Bethesda’s move toward multiplayer projects on its IPs. The Elder Scrolls has ESO, Fallout has Fallout 76, and so a multiplayer project for Starfield also fits into current Bethesda patterns. It would go a long way in, speculatively, maintaining the IP’s popularity, given a Starfield 2 is likely far, far away.
Starfield MMO Set Before The Main Game?
Again, all of the above is speculation and rumor based on a few job postings and patterns from Bethesda. The stars seem to align on a lot of it, but one word from Bethesda could make all of this moot. So, while it’s fun to think about for some, it is in no way confirmed and fans will just have to wait and see what this new project is (or new projects are).
Still, further out into the speculation field, Skullzi highlights something he believes could be the backdrop of the Starfield MMO. This should be taken with an even bigger grain of salt than the above information, but it does sound incredibly appealing and would make a lot of sense. Bethesda has discussed an event that takes place 20 years prior to Starfield, known as the Colony Wars. Having a huge war between two major factions would create a lot of ways for players to interact, engage, and play in an MMO.
If anything, this sounds like a lot like World of Warcraft factions and could even have playable races split between the two. Aliens are likely to appear in the base game, but Starfield isn’t likely to feature playable alien races for a few reasons. If these aliens prove to be popular, that gives another unique edge to setting an MMO in the Colony Wars.
It may be years before anything more, if anything at all, is learned about a Starfield MMO, but it certainly sounds enticing.
Starfield releases November 11 for PC and Xbox Series X.