The US region’s PlayStation Store—as caught by Fextralife—has Starfield Premium Edition taking the number one spot, followed by 007: First Light in second place and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight in third. Interestingly fourth place was the base edition of Starfield, which might be a further indication of just how popular pre-ordering Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG might be. The title is similarly noted as being near the top spot in the UK PlayStation Store as well.

Starfield‘s PS5 release date was announced earlier this week, and while its base edition is priced at $49.99, the Premium Edition comes in at $69.99. The latter includes the upcoming Terran Armada DLC, as well as the previously-released Shattered Space DLC, along with the Constellation Skin Pack, a digital art book, a copy of the soundtrack, and 1,000 Creation Credits. Players who decide to pick up the base edition can also grab the Premium Edition upgrade later for $24.99.

Both Terran Armada, as well as a brand new free update dubbed Free Lanes, will be going live across all platforms on April 7th, coinciding with the game’s PS5 launch. The update will bring with it a new resource dubbed X-Tech, allowing players to roll for Legendary Perks on weapons. Improvements are also being made to the game’s planetary Outposts, and players will be getting a new pet Milliewhale to accompany them.

Terran Armada will bring with it a new set of story missions that revolves around an entirely new threat: the eponymous Terran Armada. The new faction is composed of members of the United Colonies and Freestar Collective who had disappeared during the Colony War, and believe themselves to be the “true” children of Earth. Its military forces are also described as being quite advanced, and being largely made up of robot soldiers. However, not everyone from the faction will be hostile. Players can meet up with a new companion, Delta, who adds a tinge of moral ambiguity to the player’s party.

Lead creative producer Timothy Lamb has noted that, while the Free Lanes update might bring in major improvements to the game, players should temper their overall expectations. When asked whether the update would mark the beginning of Starfield 2.0, Lamb responded: “No. I’d push back against that: there’s a narrative baked into what that label would mean. We looked at a number of systems where we had interest or had heard things from the community, and we tried to level up a number of them…A number of systems have been made incrementally better. We’ve added a ton of content. It’s the best version of Starfield.”

In the meantime, Starfield remains available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review of the base game and the Shattered Space expansion for more details.

“I think it’s a good game,” said Nesmith. “I don’t think it’s in the same calibre as the other two, you know, Fallout or Skyrim, or Elder Scrolls rather, but I think it’s a good game. I worked on it, I’m proud of the work I did. I’m proud of the work that the people I knew did on it. I think they made a great game.”

Along with this, Nesmith also noted that the fact that Starfield was made by Bethesda raised expectations even higher. He said that, if the sci-fi RPG was instead released by a company other than Bethesda, “it would have been received differently.” The core issues affecting Starfield, according to Nesmith, is the fact that the universe is incredibly large and empty, which means that “space is inherently boring. It’s literally described as nothingness. So moving throughout that isn’t where the excitement is, in my opinion.”

“But when the planets start to feel very samey and you don’t start to feel the excitement on the planets, that’s to me where it falls apart,” he continued. “I was also disappointed when, pretty much, the only serious enemy you fought were people… there’s lots of cool alien creatures, but they’re like the wolves in Skyrim. They’re just there, they don’t contribute, you don’t have the variety of serious opponents that are story generators.”

While it has been two years since the release of Starfield, Bethesda has still seemingly been working on more content for the title. Just last month, the company released a teaser video on social media with the words “Terran Armada”. No details were provided, however, about whether this is going to simply be an update for Starfield or whether it will be an entirely new expansion.

Back in August, lead creative producer Tim Lamb had confirmed that Bethesda was working on a new story DLC for Starfield. Once again, not many details were provided. He did, however, note that the DLC will entail “some new game systems, and a few other smaller delights.” He also mentioned “really interesting stuff coming down the pipe from our verified creators.”

Rumours have indicated that this second DLC release is expected to happen some time in 2026, and is set to coincide with the PS5 release of Starfield, which in turn is rumoured to have been originally planned for release alongside Shattered Space last year. The title is currently only available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. For more details about it, check out our review. Also check out our review for the first Starfield DLC – Shattered Space.

According to the references made to interplanetary travel to the game, players will still ultimately be limited to flying around in the same star system, and interstellar travel will still require players to go through the same sequence as they always had. Players will also not be able to directly land their spaceships on to the planet, and trying to do so will instead trigger a cutscene of the landing instead.

It is worth noting that these are just references to a possible feature in the game’s code; Bethesda has made no announcements regarding interplanetary travel being a feature it has been working on for Starfield. The feature might even end up being cut out altogether if the studio is unable to get it to work right, and unused code often winds up in game files regardless of whether or not the feature actually makes it into the final product.

If the feature does make it into Starfield, it will likely end up arriving with the rumoured second expansion for the RPG. Again, Bethesda hasn’t yet confirmed the development of this expansion. However, reports indicating that it might be in the works have been popping up since earlier this year. According to those reports, the expansion is slated to be announced some time this year.

Interestingly, there have also been reports of Starfield potentially coming to PS5 alongside the release of the game’s second expansion. The report indicates that, for both the expansion as well as the PS5 release, Bethesda is targeting a launch window of Spring 2026. These reports have also indicated that Microsoft will be making an official announcement of the game coming to PS5, as well as of the expansion, during Gamescom later this month.

Bethesda had previously stated that it had plans for Starfield in 2025, referring to these plans as being “exciting things”. The statement was made back in March, however, and the company hasn’t revealed any more details about what kinds of updates the game will be getting so far.

“We know you’re eager for an update, and we truly appreciate your passion for Starfield,” the studio wrote. “The team has been hard at work, and while we’re not ready to share specific details just yet, we have a lot of exciting things planned for the game this year that we can’t wait to talk about when the time is right.”

Starfield is currently available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. Since its release, the game has seen the release of one expansion – Shattered Space. For more details, check out our review of the base game as well as the expansion.

While Bethesda is said to be working on the PS5 version, however, the report also states that Microsoft will not be making the official announcement of the port during the upcoming Gamescom event. The report does note that things might end up changing, since marketing and development plans often move around depending on the progress being made.

More concrete-sounding rumours of Starfield making its way to PS5 first started popping up all the way back in May. The report at the time indicated that an announcement would happen some time this year. The gap between the announcement and the PS5 release of the game is also expected to be “minimal”. This report came on the heels of another one that indicated that Starfield was originally planned for a PS5 release alongside the release of its first expansion – Shattered Space.

Starfield is currently available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review of the base game, as well as the Shattered Space DLC.

Launching with extensive hype, enthusiasm would plummet almost immediately, give or take a few weeks. You could argue that the sheer number of quality games meant that players would likely revisit Starfield after clearing their backlogs. After all, it topped 13 million players as of December 2023. Surely, right?

Fast forward to today, and a game that Bethesda’s Todd Howard promised would receive “a lot” of post-launch of “varying sizes” is nowhere to be seen. It received one patch in May, which added Very Low display settings, bug fixes, and support for 2 GB Creations. Even as most modders have left the game, deeming it a lost cause, one created Watchtower, which features a new storyline, faction and features like orbital strikes, which is neat.

By this point, you would think that Bethesda would reveal the next expansion, but depending on who you ask, that time has already passed. During the Summer of Gaming, at Xbox’s own showcase, there was barely any word about Starfield. Heck, Phil Spencer didn’t even promise anything for it next year. There could very well be something at Gamescom, especially since Xbox will have a big presence, but how we went from Starfield getting its own Direct to receiving a new trailer for its first story expansion, Shattered Space, in 2024 to just disappearing in 2025 is baffling.

It probably wouldn’t be so bad if Bethesda hadn’t promised “a lot of exciting things.” If Todd Howard hadn’t promised some “big beats” for this year or that the studio is “more or less targetting” annual expansions, there would probably be fewer expectations that something is supposed to happen this year (beyond the rumored PS5 port announcement). While this doesn’t outright confirm its second expansion for 2025, Howard did confirm there would be another after Shattered Space.

Introducing a new IP is always a treacherous affair. Between new characters, stories, and settings, there’s always the challenge of creating a fun gameplay experience, regardless of how ground-breaking. Perhaps it will appeal to millions of people and become a smash hit – Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, Palworld, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are incredible examples. It could flop miserably regardless of the presentation, marketing and budget, as with MindsEye, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Concord.

However, video games are unique in that with enough time, effort, and support, any game would make a triumphant comeback…or at least, that’s what No Man’s Sky and several other games have taught us. In truth, there are plenty of disappointments which receive extensive post-launch support and still fail to resonate with fans. The redemption isn’t underway – it just never showed up to begin with.

That’s what Starfield feels like nowadays. Take a look at Cyberpunk 2077. It sold more than 13 million copies at launch in 2020 but public perception nosedived. By overhauling its internal development processes, systematically addressing major issues, implementing fan feedback and even adding new content that players actually liked, it shot up over time and now sits at 30 million sold. Better yet, Phantom Liberty, its first and only story expansion, sold three million copies in its first week and is now at 10 million sold.

And when you think back, it all started well enough. A new IP from Bethesda. Over 15 million players as of last November (though both the developer and Microsoft won’t share sales numbers). An 83 Metascore on Xbox and 85 Metascore on PC. Nearly 331,000 peak concurrent players on Steam at launch. Yet the appeal was lost within a month judging by the Steam numbers, even less when considering public perception.

And you could blame any number of factors. Players with too many expectations from little ol’ Bethesda and their little Creation Engine That Could (2). Several other better games around the same time. But at the root of all of Bethesda’s nightmares, the blame probably lies squarely on the game itself.

The more you delve into its extensive universe, the more lacking in substance it feels, as exemplified by the same randomly generated base and event for the umpteenth time. Companions and their quests felt insubstantial; Factions, a highlight of Bethesda titles, were nonsensical; and even if the narrative hasn’t been the company’s strong suit for a long while, Starfield’s was especially underwhelming. When the premise, gameplay, characters, and world offer a solid foundation, as with Cyberpunk 2077, there’s some hope for redemption.

But when so much of Starfield is inherently something many fans just don’t like, what other recourse is there? The argument that modders will “fix it” died before it even got off the ground. Shattered Space, meant to be a big step forward – was also a massive flop, so simply adding more content won’t help either.

With Microsoft allegedly planning to lay off extensive numbers of employees from its Xbox division (which may or may not be true by the time this goes live), part of me is worried that the company will cut its losses. I don’t see Bethesda Game Studios shutting down anytime soon – they still have that golden goose known as The Elder Scrolls 6  – but it wouldn’t surprise me if there are redundancies and a shifting of resources away from Starfield. It may have already happened, considering about 6,000 employees across all departments and regions of Microsoft were laid off last May.

As far as explanations go, it would be the most plausible. Then again, if Bethesda bothered to communicate anything regarding the future or what it’s doing to make Starfield a worthwhile experience for those who have stuck with it, we wouldn’t be in this situation. If a new expansion really is on the cards, it must deliver something players want to experience, and it must be accompanied by a significant overhaul to the base game.

Everything, from top to bottom, must be improved or made more enjoyable than now. Revamp some of those quests. Redo the Persuasion system. Add some spice to the weapons. Incorporate some actual fun melee combat. Incorporate a new ending or even some new companions that players want to hang out with and get to know better. Something beyond quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes. Anything.

Maybe none of this will prompt older players to return, at least initially. However, if the next expansion is enjoyable, the improvements will make for a substantially better experience on top. This could translate to strong word of mouth and a chance, however low, that new players will come in and enjoy the experience. If nothing else, this provides a solid foundation to build on and further improve the game for the future.

Then again, it all depends on Microsoft and with the layoffs and restructuring after the Activision-Blizzard acquisition, Starfield could very well end like it began – full of wasted potential.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

These include rare movement locks in forced dialogue scenes, a potential crash in Andraphon’s main outpost when editing buildings, quicksaves being removed if used too quickly, and more. Frame rate drops that happened when using the scanner during extended sessions have also been fixed.

While 16:9, 16:10, and 21:9 resolutions have received more options, support has also been added for 32:9 and 32:10. And for that added bit of immersion, you’ll still be able to see celestial bodies in the sky after entering and exiting buildings.

Starfield is available for Xbox Series X/S and PC. A PS5 version is also rumored, with an announcement due sometime this year.

It’s also worth noting that 32:9 and 32:10 resolutions have been added alongside additional 16:9, 16:10 and 21:9 resolutions. Creation Kit users can also add new icons to the game and bundle Creations in the store. It’s also possible to upload Creations that are 2 GB in size, which should increase the feature scope significantly.

There are also some quality-of-life changes, like your vehicle deploying when landing anywhere instead of solely in spaceports and on landing pads. Check out the full patch notes below for more details. Expect it to hit live servers on all platforms in the coming weeks.

Starfield is available for Xbox Series X/S and PC alongside Game Pass. Check out our review here. It crossed 15 million players in November 2024 and is reportedly coming to PS5 later this year.

Starfield Update 1.15.214 – May 6, 2025 [BETA]

FEATURES

• Added Very Low display settings to improve performance on some devices.
• Creation Kit: Added the ability for Creators to add new icons to the game.
• Creations Store now supports bundling Creations.
• Creation Kit: Creations up to 2GB in size can now be uploaded.

BUG FIXES

GENERAL

• Creations: Resolved a possible error when restoring load order if a large number of mods were installed and then deleted.
• Creation Kit: Resolved a possible crash when loading a plugin with an ingredient form.
• Addressed a possible control lock that could occur when changing views at the same time as sitting in a pilot seat while landed.
• Addressed a rare movement lock that was possible during forced dialogue scenes.
• Addressed a control lock that could occur if a vehicle Creation was disabled while a loaded save depended on it.
• Addressed a rare control lock that could occur when immediately opening a menu after loading a save during take-off.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent exiting a vanity camera (PC).
• Fixed a possible crash related to moving or removing buildings at the Main Outpost in Andraphon.
• Resolved a rare crash that could occur when entering the Unity.
• Addressed an issue where rapidly pressing quicksave could result in some quicksaves being removed.
• General crash and stability fixes.
• Creations UI fixes and improvements.

GAMEPLAY

• Skills: The Cargo Link and Robots build limits from the Outpost Management skills should now persist after going through the Unity.
• Weapons: The Space-Adept legendary effect no longer has a negative modifier for terrestrial damage.
• Gameplay Options: Addressed an issue with some interiors that prevented cargo access.
• Gameplay Options: Clarified the status effects text for Malnourished and Hydrated.
• Fixed a Grav jumping issue that could occur after being hailed in Freestar or UC space.
• Fixed a rare issue that could impact items displayed in the Razorleaf.
• Resolved an issue with missiles that could prevent XP awards.
• Fixed a player placement issue that could occur if a new creation was installed and a save was loaded into the UC Vigilance.
• Resolved an issue where creatures could get moved to water if they ever became stuck.
• Addressed an issue where dropped items could lose there stolen status.
• At Hell’s Gate: The Crucible Blade no longer damages ships in orbit when used inside a ship.
• At Hell’s Gate: The Crucible Blade audio will now play correctly after loading a save or fast travelling.
• The Bounty Board in the Tracker’s Alliance HQ now has the correct audio interactions.

GRAPHICS

• Updated resolutions to include 32:9 and 32:10 resolutions as well as more 16:9, 16:10, and 21:9 resolutions.
• Performance: Resolved an issue that could cause frame rate to drop when opening the scanner on long play sessions.
• Celestial bodies should now remain visible in the sky after entering and exiting an interior.

QUESTS

• All That Money Can Buy: Fixed a rare issue that caused the Trade Tower elevator to be inoperable.
• In Memoriam: Addressed an issue where completing “At Hell’s Gate” with Sarah as the companion could prevent completion of the quest.
• Perfect Recipe: Shonda will now recover if she was downed while collecting Ashta meat.
• The Starjacker: Adjusted dialogue options that appear for characters playing after entering the Unity.
• Top of the L.I.S.T. – Resolved a control lock that could occur after selling survey data to Phil Hill.
• Trackers Alliance: Resolved an issue where bounty scanner quests could time out.
• Trackers Alliance: Fixed a rare issue where either killing or stunning the target would not complete the bounty missions.
• Worlds Apart: Fixed an issue that allowed the player to leave the planet too quickly after exiting the temple.

LOCATIONS

• Mannequins will now persist as intended in the New Atlantis Penthouse.
• Player should now be able to modify the shelves and cabinets in the Core Manor in Akila City.
• Resolved an issue that could prevent scanning some flora.
• At Hell’s Gate: The Plasma Research Facility now shows up on the surface map.
• Fixed a visible opening in the Deserted Biotics Lab.
• Vent Hazards are now displaying correctly on Jemison.

UI

• Ship Builder: Resolved an issue with the ship upgrade menu when only one module is available for upgrade.
• Ship Builder: Addressed a selection issue when using large fonts.
• Ship Decoration: Updated the names of Empty ship modules.
• All buttons should now work in the Vehicle Builder menu with large fonts enabled.
• Localization: Text for the Dehydrated debuff is no longer cutoff in Spanish and Polish when large fonts is enabled.
• Localization: The bounty boards in the Tracker’s Alliance HQ are now localized consistently.
• Localization: Strings for both Hydrated and Dehydrated status effects regarding sneak attacks are fully localized.

VEHICLE

• A keyboard binding is now available for the boost button. (PC)
• A marker for the vehicle will now show up on the player’s compass.
• Resolved a camera issue that could occur for players with maxed out Surveying skill.
• Improved logic for exiting the vehicle when partially obstructed.
• The vehicle will now deploy when landing at locations other than spaceports or landing pads.
• Addressed a visible artifact with the Rev-8 when boosting in foggy conditions.

Shattered Space

• Va’ruun outpost modules are now available to players after entering the Unity.
• Skills: Killing enemies inside gravity bubbles on Dazra will now count towards the Gymnastics skill.
• Addressed an issue with the buttons on the lift on the Mourning level in Dazra.
• Weapons: The Penumbra now deals bonus headshot damage.
• Performance: Addressed an issue that could cause slight stutters in the Well and outside Dazra.
• The Va’Ruun Schimaz’s blade is no longer pixelated on the Data Menu.
• Fixed a lens flare flicker with the Citadel on Dazra.
• Zealous Overreach: Adjusted Mirek’s dialogue options to account for characters that have been through the Unity.
• Zealous Overreach: Resolved issue that could occur if the player cleared Shadow Station Epsilon prior to speaking to Ekris.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

This game doesn’t get what it means to be a superhero, full stop. Incremental powerups to characters who should already be suited to high-level meant this generic paint-by-numbers shooter was always destined to underwhelm. Most disappointing with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League though is the fact Rocksteady were at the helm. The Arkham developers crafted multiplayer shooter when atmospheric single players are their bread and butter. The reported $200 million loss on the game hasn’t perturbed WB Games though who seem strangely hellbent on going all-in on live service for their future titles.

Star Wars Outlaws

As iffy as certain things looked before launch, there was still some hope for Star Wars Outlaws from Massive Entertainment’s involvement alone. The Reputation and Wanted system, more organic exploration, and focus on single-player were all the right moves, but it didn’t land for consumers. Those who took the plunge suffered numerous bugs and issues with movement, combat, AI, stealth, and so on. It’s a better game now, but Outlaws still needs work.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Even with successes like Helldivers 2, this year just wasn’t it for live-service titles. However, the negative response to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League began well prior, with many criticizing the looter shooter’s format. The release sadly did nothing to rise to the occasion, featuring a horrendous story that falls off a cliff, insufferable characters, and the same dreary games-as-a-service mission structure seen hundreds of times before. With a $200 million impact on Warner Bros. Discovery’s revenue, Suicide Squad clearly didn’t meet expectations.

Skull and Bones

Alleged reboots, high-profile departures, constant delays, and a ballooning budget – Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones had all the key ingredients for a potential disaster. Adding in all the live-service staples like seasons, always-online gameplay, a focus on multiplayer, and whatnot hastened the game’s doom (calling it a quadruple-A title also didn’t help). With player numbers reportedly coming in at less than a million around launch, it was a failure before it even got started.

Planet Coaster 2

Incredible visuals and the studio’s penchant for attention to detail did little to make a difference for Planet Coaster 2, which is, by all accounts, a hotly awaited sequel, that much more palatable. The awful UI, pathing issues, lackluster pools, awful characters and various bugs were just too significant to ignore, even with the better campaign. Frontier has rolled out improvements, and it will likely excel in the long run, but for now, Planet Coaster 2 is an underwhelming ride.

Farming Simulator 25

After the failure of Farming Simulator 23 (at least on Nintendo Switch), Farming Simulator 25 marked a return for the franchise to consoles and PC. It shipped with extensive bugs, an annoying user interface, jarring physics, and multitudes of other issues that remain. That’s on top of the unoptimized performance on PC, which hinders the otherwise strong environmental effects and textures. Mods will likely make it a better experience over time but at this point, fans would appreciate a strong title out of the gate (which certainly applies to our next choice).

Starfield: Shattered Space

Starfield had its share of mixed impressions after launching last year and Shattered Space seemed like the perfect opportunity to address many issues while offering a fresh slate. However, the hand-crafted planet of Var’uun’kai delivered the most rudimentary content and barren surroundings to go with lackluster characters and story-telling. Even the intriguing gravity anomalies barely appear after a point.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead

I was excited about Stormind Games’ first-person horror, especially with how it leveraged the films and their mechanics. Unfortunately, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a hugely linear, highly scripted experience with bizarre AI, questionable design decisions, and a predictable story that fails to really leverage its endearing characters.

Concord

Sony’s biggest first-party failure in years, Concord was seemingly doomed from its first proper reveal, especially when the hero shooter elements became apparent. After a beta with abysmal numbers, it would launch to middling reviews and reportedly sold only 25,000 copies. Sony initially pulled the title from sale and shut down servers before eventually shuttering it and Firewalk Studio.

Rise of the Ronin

Director Fumihiko Yasuda revealed around June that Rise of the Ronin was Koei Tecmo’s best-selling game so far, with the publisher even reporting higher sales than Nioh. That’s all great, but the game itself fell short of what we expected in terms of open-world activities and storytelling. At least the combat remains enjoyable, and Team Ninja has provided some extensive post-launch content for free.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

The first Dragon Age title in ten years was bound to have astronomical expectations, especially with all the rumors and reports of reboots. Combat was sharp despite pivoting to a real-time hack-and-slash approach and the environments are gorgeous, without a doubt. It’s everything else that either whelmed or disappointed, from the uneven characterization and writing to the mission structure. Though it wasn’t BioWare’s worst, it’s far from being its best.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Significant improvements over last year’s game don’t excuse Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 from disappointing in other ways. Despite a superior campaign, its story ultimately felt flat (and continued the same cliffhanger approach), while multiplayer fell short with its map design. Zombies is surprisingly good despite some balance issues, and while the overall experience classifies as “good,” it’s nowhere near the series’ heights.

Unknown 9: Awakening

There’s always some skepticism when a developer gets ahead itself and plans out an entire universe for its IP before the first game even launches. Unfortunately, Unknown 9: Awakening loaded its bland premise with dull writing and boring combat, while various bugs and performance issues weighed even heavier. Suffice it to say that with an all-time peak concurrent player count of 285 on Steam at launch, Unknown 9: Awakening failed to meet any expectations heaped on it.

MultiVersus

From promising platform fighter to being pulled and relaunching earlier this year in a worse form, MultiVersus has had quite the journey. It’s hard to pinpoint all the issues, be it the sheer lack of quality-of-life features at launch or how underwhelming Rifts felt after they finally went live, but above all else, the feel and fluidity from the open beta felt like it was missing. And unfortunately, Player First Games hasn’t been able to capture the magic ever since.

XDefiant

Initially revealed as part of the Tom Clancy series, XDefiant would become a standalone entity while still crossing over with the publisher’s various other titles. However, despite some responsive shooting, it couldn’t match the features and content of other free-to-play shooters at launch. Various issues like network performance also affected it, causing a sharp downturn. Maybe there’s still time to right the ship, but based on the company’s other live-service endeavors, XDefiant’s days could be numbered.

Outcast: A New Beginning

Developing a sequel to a niche title from the late 90s is unusual on its own, but perhaps Outcast: The New Beginning could cater to long-time fans. What it offered was a massive world with nothing exciting, loading up players with menial tasks and awful writing. Appealing as it may be for those seeking more old-school-style titles, A New Beginning felt more like an awkward continuation for a cult-classic series.

In an interview with Game File, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer touched on the topic, stating that developing post-launch expansions is by no means a “top-down mandate” for all first-party studios, and that above all, he doesn’t want expansions for games that feel “manipulative”, and instead add actual value to the larger experience.

“It’s really left to the creators [regarding] what plan they have for their stories,” he said. “I think it’s a great way for us to reengage players who may be lapsed.

“I don’t like expansions that are manipulative. I want it to have a unique point of view. I don’t want it to be, like, the third level that you cut before you launched.”

Spencer went on to add that every release continues to be a learning experience even now- like the aforementioned Shattered Space, which released earlier this year to divisive responses, with criticism being directed at its lack of new features. Interestingly, as per Spencer, those criticisms led director Todd Howard to wonder whether pairing the expansion with the release of buggies (which were added to the game for free earlier in the year) would have made it seem more substantial.

“But we’re always learning,” he said. “Todd and I were talking about Shattered Space. Starfield is a game I put a ton of hours into and really love, but they’ve had this thing where they’ve added features throughout the year and then they had an expansion.

“I think some of the feedback on the expansion is: ‘We wanted more features.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, should we have waited to put buggies out?'”

Ultimately, however, Spencer says that not every first-party Xbox title is necessarily going to do expansions.

“I think you’re trying to tune both development effort and the impact of the expansion. And I think there will always be a balance to managing the game month to month. But not every game will do expansions.”