Players seem to be increasingly deserting Starfield on Steam, but all it takes is one announcement to revive their interest. Given the situation, Bethesda may have to react faster than expected.
Regardless of what we think of it, Starfield was clearly one of the big releases of 2023. In our columns, we even gave it the maximum score of 10/10. It’s you who says how much this space epic has left its mark on us. Initially, there were many fans there, as evidenced by the figures on the Steam platform. However, this is no longer really the case today. Players seem to be jumping ship one by one, but Bethesda still has an ace up its sleeve. It’s probably time to play it.
Steam players are deserting Starfield
Starfield came out about five months ago, and it quickly broke all records. It even became the biggest launch in history for Bethesda, a feat that should not be taken lightly. Generally speaking, the firm’s latest addition was a huge success, and for weeks, its rise was unhindered. However, all good things must come to an end, and now its attendance is in decline. We see this on Steam, by taking a brief look at the statistics. And the results are clear.
Over the last 30 days, the Valve platform has recorded an average of 7,963 players connected simultaneously (at the time of writing). Compared to its beginnings, we are facing a drastic reduction of 97%. Knowing that this decline had already started between September and October 2023, with the player base having decreased by 67%. So yes, it is undeniable that Starfield no longer attracts hundreds of thousands of people on a regular basis. However, is this really surprising? The answer is no.
Yes, Starfield is a single-player game, and not a multiplayer-oriented title. This fall, which seems violent, we often see happen in the video game sphere. In itself, that doesn’t mean that the game is bad, or that it can no longer satisfy its owners. That said, the numbers could easily go back up. But that’s not our responsibility, but rather that of the studio. Indeed, fans are impatiently awaiting one thing: the release of the expansion called Shattered Space.
Where is the DLC?
This is the major argument that could bring players back in droves. The DLC planned for Starfield does exist, but it has not yet been in the spotlight. Where is he ? Was it postponed without us knowing it? Has Bethesda revised its plans? At the moment, we are in total limbo. For some, we will inevitably have an announcement in 2024, which is not devoid of logic. It is difficult to see the firm waiting until 2025 to deploy its extension. However, it is clear that we still have no news about it.
That being said, let’s not forget that mods can also be used to keep players interested. Skyrim is living proof. In the case of Starfield, it doesn’t seem to weigh much in the balance. There are always big updates that are implemented in the game, and it must be admitted, they are quite massive. But that doesn’t have the same value as the arrival of a massive DLC ready to dazzle us. We hope it will be this year.