Highlights
Bethesda has released the first-ever update for Starfield prior to its official release, benefiting players who have purchased higher-tier editions of the game.
The update, designated as version 1.7.23.0, is a substantial download, weighing in at 13.4GB for PC and 15.5GB for Xbox Series X/S. It is likely aimed at resolving critical issues prior to the game's early access launch.
Although Bethesda games have had a track record of buggy launches in the past, Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, has assured that Starfield will have the least number of bugs compared to any other Bethesda game.
Bethesda has released an early update for Starfield, its upcoming game set to be released on September 6. Players who have purchased the higher-tier editions of the RPG will have access to the patch when the game becomes available for early access on September 1. This follows Bethesda's tradition of providing multiple patches for their AAA games, with Fallout 4 receiving 17 updates across different platforms. Some players who have preloaded Starfield have already noticed the early patch release.
The game's inaugural update, labeled as version 1.7.23.0, was initiated on August 28. On PC, the patch has a size of 13.4GB, while on the Xbox Series X/S, it is just under 15.5GB. Instead of increasing Starfield's already significant installation size, this release simply replaces certain existing files. It is assumed that this update addresses critical bugs that were not yet resolved when Starfield reached its final development stage in mid-August, although this can only be speculated at this time.
Systems with the Starfield preload will automatically download the newly introduced update. The initial wave of preloads, encompassing the Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Store versions, became available on August 17, while Steam users will be able to download the Starfield preload starting August 30. Given the timing of this release, it is plausible that the patch will serve as the day-one update for the early access version of the space-faring RPG. Based on the version histories of other recent Bethesda titles like Fallout 4 and TES: Skyrim - Special Edition, it is likely that this pre-release patch will be followed by another update within a few days or weeks.
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Bethesda's previous open-world RPGs have had notorious buggy launches, requiring extensive patching from the developer based in Maryland. However, Starfield is likely to deviate from this unfortunate trend. Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, recently reassured players by promising that Starfield will have the least number of bugs compared to any other Bethesda game.
Despite this, the initial state of Starfield's release is not anticipated to significantly affect the game's early adoption rate. After all, Bethesda's AAA role-playing games have historically achieved immediate success despite their buggy launches.
Starfield launches September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.