Starfield Fans Demand Bethesda Honor Late Gamer in Anticipated RPG

Starfield fans are urging Bethesda to honor a fellow gamer who never got the chance to play the highly-anticipated space RPG. Their requests came after some fans pledged to name their own Starfield spaceships after the deceased player.

Alex Hay, a devoted Starfield follower, expressed his disappointment on Reddit earlier this year after learning about the game's release date. At the time, he had just ceased treatment for lung cancer and was receiving palliative care. Hay, who had hoped to play the game before passing away, acknowledged that waiting until September 6 was unlikely. Sadly, he died at the age of 35 shortly after making the post.

Now, Starfield fans are calling on Bethesda to recognize Hay's passion for the game and his untimely passing.

A group of fans have been advocating for Bethesda to create an in-game memorial for Hay, who passed away earlier this year. Their efforts have primarily consisted of a Twitter campaign using the hashtag #AlexInStarfield, which gained traction in mid-May. While the campaign has not yet gone viral, Bethesda-focused YouTuber Light recently revealed that the studio is aware of Hay's story. According to Light, the developers are "likely" planning to honor the late fan in Starfield, though no official announcement has been made.

However, with Starfield's release just a few months away, it remains uncertain whether the game's initial version will include a tribute to Hay. Even small additions to complex software like a AAA open-world RPG can take time to implement, meaning that the calls for Hay's memorial came with little notice. It is possible that the developer will only add a tribute to Hay in a future update to the game, assuming they decide to go through with the idea.

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Bethesda has a history of paying tribute to late gamers. In 2016, they included a memorial for a fan's brother in the Nuka World DLC for Fallout 4, and also sent the surviving relative a personalized letter from the developers as well as a variety of collectibles. The studio's fans have shown empathy towards such stories, with the Fallout 76 community having touching moments over in-game memorials. In fact, there is a campaign among fans of The Elder Scrolls 6 to include a tribute to Colton "Colt" Meredith, a long-time Skyrim fan who passed away in 2020.

Starfield launches September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: GamesRadar