Starfield Sits Out Bethesda’s 2.0 Era as Other Games Evolve

Fallout 4 got a next-gen upgrade, and The Elder Scrolls Online keeps rolling out major expansions. Yet, Starfield stands out as the only flagship Bethesda RPG without a detailed 2.0 rework planned. This is particularly surprising for a game that launched just under three years ago in September 2023.

The real story lies in the gap between Starfield’s critical acclaim and its player retention. It debuted with an 88 on Metacritic, indicating solid reviews. However, its Steam user score sits at just 56% positive from 118,198 reviews. This split verdict reveals ongoing disappointment rather than a simple post-launch adjustment. Currently, only 4,019 players are active on Steam, which is a sharp drop from the peak of 330,723 players at launch.

Bethesda hasn’t completely overlooked Starfield. The July 2026 Free Lanes update addressed some major complaints, and the game finally made its way to PS5 after two years as an Xbox exclusive, expanding its potential audience. However, small updates and a late console port don’t equate to the major overhaul many players believe is necessary to fix core design issues.

These issues are well-known by now. Bethesda’s announced roadmap focuses on its other franchises, leaving Starfield in limbo as many players have moved on. The game features more than 1,000 procedurally generated planets, which have always been a mixed blessing. No amount of new content can eliminate the navigation challenges that critics and players pointed out at launch.

The PS5 release might breathe new life into the player numbers for a while. Fans are already speculating about how Starfield’s assets could relate to Elder Scrolls 6’s Hammerfell setting. This hints that Starfield may end up as a tech and asset foundation for future projects, instead of a live-service game on its own. That’s a tough spot for a game Bethesda promoted as its most significant release in 25 years.

By The Numbers

Metacritic Score	88
Steam User Score	56% positive
Total Steam Reviews	118,198
Current Steam Players	4,019
Current Price (Steam)	$49.99

On Steam, community sentiment leans negative, and the frustrations are consistent. One reviewer summed up a common complaint: “The story is on rails, no real freedom to the RPG. A lot of the game is navigating menus to fast travel. Crafting your spaceship is a chore, not enjoyable.” This sentiment echoes a wider pattern in the game’s negative feedback — it’s not just one broken system, but several that fail to meet the expectations of Bethesda RPG fans.

What To Watch

• Keep an eye on whether the PS5 launch leads to a noticeable, lasting increase in the Steam concurrent player count, or if it’s just a brief spike.
• Watch for Bethesda’s next major update announcement. If a 2.0-style overhaul is in the works, the studio needs to communicate it soon before the player base dwindles further.
• Consider how Starfield’s assets and engine might influence the development of Elder Scrolls 6; the amount of content Bethesda has added suggests they’re still investing internally, even if the public roadmap is quiet.