Over a million people have and are exploring Starfield’s massive universe.
- Bethesda“>Bethesda‘s Starfield achieved a milestone with over one million concurrent players across Xbox Series X|S and PC platforms shortly after its launch on September 6, showcasing its widespread appeal and success.
- Players and critics are praising Starfield for its vastness and depth, with some gamers noting they’ve only “barely scratched the surface” after dozens of hours, and the game’s value is further enhanced by its inclusion in the affordable Xbox Game Pass subscription.
- While Starfield’s launch numbers are remarkable, they haven’t yet surpassed some other significant titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Grand Theft Auto 5“>Grand Theft Auto 5, but the game’s expanding universe and Bethesda’s reputation for post-launch support indicate its potential for sustained success and growth.
With its official release on September 6, Bethesda Game Studios‘ much anticipated interstellar epic Starfield is taking launched.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer used social media to announce that Starfield has officially reached one million concurrent players on both the PC and Xbox Series S/X platforms, making it one of Bethesda’s most successful launches ever.
But before you declare this an unprecedented triumph, keep in mind that the game had an early access period starting on September 1 for those who couldn’t resist the temptation of purchasing a premium edition. It’s an unofficial source that claims the statistic was already reached in Early Access, but it shouldn’t detract from this momentous occasion.
Starfield exceeded 1 million concurrent players across all platforms today. Thanks to all the players who helped us reach this great milestone and congrats to the @BethesdaStudios https://t.co/5jFaCyPz4G“>https://t.co/5jFaCyPz4G
Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) September 7, 2023
The importance of Starfield is highlighted by the timing of this news, which came just before US Eastern Standard Time changed. The concurrent player count, which is a snapshot indicating over a million people were logged into the Starfield world at the same time, should not be mistaken with overall sales or users. Nevertheless, this measure shows a lot of interest, and there may be many more players overall waiting to be announced before the next major thing happens.
It’s understandable why Starfield is creating such a stir. The title’s immense scope and richness are being praised by both critics and gamers. It’s easy to lose dozens of hours playing through various missions, and despite all its problems, faults, and shortcomings, it’s evident that this is a game that comes around just once or twice a generation.When Phil Spencer and Pete Hines stated in previous interviews that playing a game for hundreds of hours doesn’t ensure you’ll love everything it has to offer right away, they surely weren’t lying. With hundreds or even thousands of hours to invest, its vast cosmos with its handcrafted and procedural content and endless possibilities for customization is well worth the time. When you compare the game to another rabbit-hole experience like Baldur’s Gate 3, you have to wonder how gamers find the time to explore the game’s abundance of content.
Naturally, Xbox Game Pass’s low monthly subscription fee—as low as $9.99—probably contributed to these astounding results. However, the game’s quality is also causing a stir. Starfield is already considered a masterpiece in the gaming industry, with gamers marveling at its vast cosmos and content creators devoting hours to discovering the game’s mysteries. Not only is it living up to the expectation of an all-out interstellar adventure, but considering Bethesda’s track record of sustaining their games after release, it looks set to grow even more.
Not to pick on the details, but even with its stellar launch figures, Starfield can yet improve. Grand Theft Auto 5’s record-breaking high from 2013 has yet to be surpassed, nor have the numbers surpassed the concurrent player count of Baldur’s Gate 3, which reached around 900K on Steam alone, or the explosive first-day sales of Hogwarts Legacy or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It’s important to note that player numbers may be somewhat skewed as a result of promotional giveaways, particularly with new GPUs and CPUs; nonetheless, precise numbers are still confidential.
There is a mixture of expectation and criticism for Starfield, despite the game enjoying its moment in the spotlight—it had over 269,177 continuous players on Steam alone at launch and was quickly rising in the Xbox Store’s Top Paid Games list. The fan base is already hankering after more from Bethesda and Starfield—more information, more material, even higher standards.
As the game’s universe grows and players explore more of what may turn out to be “the biggest single-player game ever,” one thing is certain: Starfield is just getting started, but its allure is already strong.