Bethesda Game Studios have recently accelerated their update schedule for Starfield, with two substantial updates released for the interstellar RPG in May and June. Anticipation is growing for the forthcoming paid expansion, Shattered Space, and more content and updates in the pipeline. This raises questions about whether Bethesda will sustain this update frequency in the future.
In a recent dialogue with YouTuber MrMattyPlays, the studio's director, Todd Howard, indicated that Starfield's second-year updates are already in the works. However, he noted that the timing of these updates will vary.
Howard asserts that the elapsed period between updates hinges on the individual update's nature and the current progress of the game's development. He predicts that there may be shorter intervals at times, with longer intervals expected between more extensive updates.
After revisiting Starfield's recent updates in May and June, Howard anticipates a longer period before the next update delivery. The second year of updates will also see more significant gaps, as the studio is crafting "big beats" for these free updates.
Howard made it clear that the studio would aim to communicate clearly with the player base regarding these expected intervals in updates. Moreover, alongside the free updates, Howard confirmed plans for paid expansions for Starfield. While the Shattered Space expansion is rumored for September, Howard suggests that the studio is gearing up for annual expansions.
He has remained hopeful about the continuity of the annual expansions for a substantial length of time. Plans are also in place for at least one more expansion set for next year. Starfield, available on Xbox Series X/S and PC, has topped 14 million players across all platforms in its lifetime.