The Reason There's No More ‘Starfield' DLC
Starfield
There was a new Xbox showcase this past week with a lot of solid offerings, but what was supposed to be one of the biggest games of this entire era was nowhere to be found. That would be Bethesda's Starfield, the new IP from the developer that Microsoft previously bragged was the studio's biggest launch ever.
Starfield was released in September of 2023, and its first DLC, Shattered Space, was released in September of 2024. So, Starfield fans were hoping that this showcase would debut another DLC that was going to be out this fall, despite how late of notice that might have been.
Nope, didn't happen. And I think when you examine how this game has performed and the support it's gotten, you'll understand why.
Starfield
I don't care about the current numbers on this Steamdb chart but see if you can guess where the launch of Shattered Space was here. Can you see it? Do you need a microscope? Yes, it's that little blip in September to the right of the middle. The launch of the expansion took the game to a 21,000 peak, double-ish what the game was averaging before that. If you want a comparison point, here's the launch of Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, three years after the game's (poor) launch.
Starfield
FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™
Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase
Pinpoint By Linkedin
Guess The Category
Queens By Linkedin
Crown Each Region
Crossclimb By Linkedin
Unlock A Trivia Ladder
It's obvious, and the expansion went on to have about a 30% attach rate to the original game. Some may say that Xbox players who got the full bundle for launch may have played it more, but it's not like this game did not sell very well on Steam, and I don't think the numbers were wildly better elsewhere.
Bethesda and Microsoft do not believe there's enough of an audience for a second expansion. They're right, clearly. The Shattered Space expansion was not even good, for that matter, so in addition to just making something, they'd have to make it a lot better. Combine this with Bethesda being half a decade behind on making Elder Scrolls VI, and there's just no chance this was going to happen.
Bethesda has attempted to channel Skyrim and open up mod tools for Starfield, but that has disappointed that community as it hasn't been good enough support, and big scene modders have abandoned the game entirely.
Starfield should have been a game that received ongoing support and built itself out with features and additions and content like we saw with the game it emulated, No Man's Sky. But Bethesda is not Hello Games, and Starfield was not given this support. It got a vehicle update, some new base items. The ability to not completely wreck all your items when switching ships. Not much, nor did it deliver a good DLC, and the numbers reflect that. Starfield's done.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
33 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Indiana Jones' whip, Kane's Rosebud sled and Culkin's 'Home Alone' snow cap are going up for auction
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Many of movies' most sought-after props are going up for auction, including the Rosebud sled from 'Citizen Kane,' Macaulay Culkin's knit snow cap from 'Home Alone' and a whip wielded by Harrison Ford during the Holy Grail trials of 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.'
CBS News
36 minutes ago
- CBS News
Blue Moon partners with eos for new orange-flavored lip balm
In an unusual pairing, beer maker Blue Moon and personal care product company eos have teamed up to create a new orange-flavored lip balm, The Valencia Orange Lip Balm debuted Tuesday and is available exclusively on Blue Moon and eos' websites. It comes in a round shell typical of eos' style but with a twist: A small Blue Moon label is printed on the orange casing. In the online description of the product, the companies say the lip balm was designed to enhance the flavor of Blue Moon beer, a Belgian-style wheat beer known for its citrusy flavor. "This limited-edition balm doesn't just resemble a Valencia orange, it delivers the same refreshing, juicy taste," Blue Moon and eos said in a statement. While the product does not contain any alcohol, the companies say it is intended for an audience 21 and older. The balm retails for $4.99 and is available while supplies last, according to the companies' statement. Blue Moon is owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company, whose beer brands include Coors, Coors Light, Miller High Life and Miller Lite. "Through this unexpected partnership with eos, we're giving fans a whole new way to enjoy that iconic citrus taste," Courtney Benedict, vice president of marketing at the Molson Coors, said in a statement.
Forbes
40 minutes ago
- Forbes
Brian Wilson Embodied The Warmth Of The Sun
God only knows what we'd be without the music of Brian Wilson. What good is the dawn, that grows into day; the sunset at night, or living this way. For I have the warmth of the sun, within me at night. Brian Wilson, who died on June 11, overcame immense life challenges to share 'the warmth of the sun' with multiple generations of fans, throughout his near 60 year career. And despite his passing, his musical and cultural significance is guaranteed to continue, with the consistency and majesty of waves rolling across the sea. Wilson's place in American history is primarily as the leader of The Beach Boys, one of the most influential bands in rock n' roll history. As the band's principal composer, his mastery of harmonies was principally responsible for the 'sound' that led to the sale of over 100 million records globally, including over 33 RIAA Platinum and Gold Records. His 1965 masterpiece 'Pet Sounds' is generally recognized as one of the top two or three album recordings in popular music history. Wilson also achieved fame with his extraordinary achievements in musical production and arrangement. His ability to use the voices of his bandmates as musical instruments themselves, and his willingness to incorporate professional musicians (e.g., the famous 'Wrecking Crew') set the standard for record production for a generation. It's no stretch to describe Wilson as the modern day equivalent of Stephen Foster, referred to as 'the father of American music'. But Wilson's legacy extends far beyond his achievements as a composer and performer. It extends to the broader meaning of the music, his related impact on American culture and his courageous battle to overcome crippling mental illness. Wilson once attributed the success of the Beach Boys to how the music 'celebrated the joy of life in a real, simple way.' And that they did, whether it involved a surfboard, a T-Bird or 'girls on the beach'. Aspects of Wilson's music as sung by his band can be found in many aspects of our daily life; it's hard not to watch television or a movie, or listen to the radio, and not hear some reflection of Wilson and The Beach Boys' music. Beyond the music, few artists have had such a significant impact on American culture than did Wilson. The band's early focus on an 'Endless Summer', with its lifestyle of sunshine, surfing, cars and young romance contributed enormously to the explosive 1960s attraction of Southern California as a magical destination. If everybody had an ocean…across the USA, then everybody'd be surfin', like Californ-i-a…Wilson's music moved people, both figuratively and literally. And as Wilson's listeners grew older and confronted more serious emotions than life at the beach, his music evolved to address what they ‒ and he ‒ were feeling. The enduring attraction of Pet Sounds is found in the way in which Wilson, and his lyricist Tony Asher, reflected 'coming of age' sensitivities within a lush orchestral mixture. Rolling Stone described it as '…an intense, linear personal vision of the vagaries of a love affair and the painful, introverted anxieties that are the wrenching precipitates of the unstable chemistry of any love relationship.' Yet the most understated aspect of Wilson's life was his ability to write such joyous harmonies while suffering from the traumas of an abusive father and mental challenges ultimately diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder and depression. These challenges were exacerbated by the drug abuse so typical of artists of that era. And they were exploited in near-legendary manner by a controversial 'celebrity psychologist'. That Wilson was able to prevail for decades against such pressures is a testament to both his personal courage and his artistic commitment. When many would have abandoned their careers when confronted by such barriers, Wilson persevered. His ability to complete the legendary Smile album, after 40 years of suspended work, gave hope to others struggling with similar conditions. Of course Wilson was not the sole messenger of his music; full credit is due to his lifelong band mates: brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friends Alan Jardine and Bruce Johnston. There could be no substitutes. Indeed, Love's autobiography tells of the remark one-time Beach Boy Glen Campbell once made to Johnny Carson, that 'The Beach Boys' music will never die'. Carson retorted that 'Everyone has to die. Even the Beach Boys have to die sometime'. And certainly they do, at least from a bodily perspective. But the spirit of their music, as crafted by Brian Wilson, will undoubtedly live on as long as American popular music is chronicled. My love's like the warmth of the sun; it won't ever die.
