It’s been just a few days since Bethesda released the first Starfield expansion, Shattered Space, on PC and Xbox Series S|X. Meanwhile, Design Director Emil Pagliarulo spoke to Gamesradar about the studio’s sci-fi IP and its place among the Bethesda portfolio.
I think, in a lot of ways, Starfield is the hardest thing Bethesda has ever done. We pushed ourselves to make something totally different. To just jam into an Xbox the biggest, richest space simulation RPG anyone could imagine. That we pulled it off makes Starfield something of a technical marvel. It’s also, in a lot of ways, the best game we’ve ever made. But for us, most importantly, Starfield has its own unique personality and now sits right next to Fallout and Elder Scrolls.
It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but what is? We created a new IP from the ground up and an experience that is absolutely unique on consoles. And I’m not saying Starfield is better or worse than any other game – just different in what we offer. It’s that weird Bethesda blend of immersion, action, and RPG… but also different to Bethesda’s other RPGs. Starfield is developing its own unique fanbase – it’s big, and it’s growing. Bethesda used to feel like the studio of Elder Scrolls. Then, it was the studio you’d associate with Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Now it’s Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield. Bethesda Game Studios’ big three.
Pagliarulo has worked on all major titles made by Bethesda Game Studios over the past twenty-plus years: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76. As such, he is uniquely qualified to look back at the studio’s previous work, although of course fans may well disagree. Starfield featured a different brand of exploration compared to what players were used to in The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, although the Shattered Space expansion is supposed to have returned to the studio’s trademark style.
In any case, Pagliarulo also joked that the one thing Bethesda learned from making Starfield is that its fans ‘really, really, really want The Elder Scrolls 6’. It should not come as a surprise, given that Skyrim was a massive hit and the best-selling game made by the studio to date. It’s already been thirteen years since its release, and will be at least sixteen before The Elder Scrolls 6 launches, although production started in late 2023. Shattered Space probably isn’t going to be the only Starfield expansion, though, thus requiring Bethesda to split its focus somewhat.
