Bethesda is likely to face even more increased pressure to deliver a hit with its upcoming action RPG Starfield after the publisher’s co-op vampire shooter Redfall failed to land with gamers and critics. As the first major release following Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, expectations were already high for the Arkane Studios shooter, but a recent report shows that Redfall’s Steam concurrent player count is plummeting just days after launch. With the publisher’s first post-acquisition release already leaving a sour taste in some players’ mouths, Starfield may face an uphill battle to win over a gaming audience feeling burned by Bethesda.
While the two Bethesda titles are drastically different in terms of both genre and tone, with it worth noting that they are created by different studios, some gamers have already voiced concerns about Starfield’s launch following Redfall’s rocky rollout. Starfield's long development process was already under scrutiny from some gamers concerned that the planet-hopping RPG’s release delays didn’t bode well for the title, and those worries are likely to increase given Redfall’s critical drubbing. And while the millions of players with a subscription to Microsoft’s popular gaming service will be able to try Starfield on day one as part of their membership, Redfall’s failure shows that simply being on Game Pass doesn’t guarantee success.
Redfall Shows That a Game Pass Release Doesn’t Guarantee Success
Despite being a must-have for many budget-minded gamers worldwide, Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service has a somewhat spotty track record when it comes to both the quality of and the reception to the games on offer. Although there are some great games on Xbox Game Pass, from major releases to unexpected hits like this year’s Hi-Fi Rush, Redfall’s rapid downfall in the eyes of gamers shows that even AAA titles aren’t guaranteed success on the service. The single-player-only Starfield may also face additional pressures, simply because its appeal is different for subscribers than the multiplayer Redfall.
Even though many gamers were skeptical of Redfall even before its lackluster launch, the supernatural shooter’s co-op gameplay likely convinced some Game Pass subscribers who were on the fence to give the game a go with friends. The draw of being able to play with friends isn’t something Starfield will be able to fall back on, though, and that could work against it. While the overwhelming success of recent games like Elden Ring shows that there is still a market for solidly single-player games, Starfield’s solo gameplay and sci-fi setting may make it a hard sell for some gamers.
Starfield's Sci-fi Setting Could Be a Hard Sell
Despite its many shortcomings, one aspect of Redfall that’s received praise from many players and critics is the game’s unique setting. A surprisingly accurate, albeit heavily stylized, re-creation of a typical seaside town in the American northeast, the city of Redfall is a welcome change of pace from the military and sci-fi games that dominate much of the market. In a gaming landscape already awash with space-centric games from all different genres, Starfield’s hard sci-fi setting could prove to be less appealing to a broad audience than the fantastical, forested lands of Bethesda's Skyrim.
While Bethesda’s Starfield will undoubtedly be facing greater pressure to succeed following the high-profile failure of Redfall, both from gamers and from parent company Microsoft, all is not lost when it comes to the sci-fi RPG. Despite all of the potential hurdles standing in the way of Starfield’s success, Bethesda is still unmatched when it comes to delivering high-quality open-world RPG experiences and this could be its saving grace.
The poor reception to Redfall has undoubtedly tarnished Bethesda’s reputation, at least somewhat and for a short time, in the eyes of many gamers, but Starfield still has the potential to redeem the company. If Bethesda can learn from Redfall’s buggy missteps and deliver the AAA experience it’s known for, the worst players may have to worry about during the wait for it is avoiding Starfield beta scammers.
Starfield will be released on September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.