Starfield is a 2023 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.[2] In the game, the player character joins a group of space explorers who must venture to various corners of the galaxy to acquire mysterious artifacts. The game features an open world in the form of an area within the Milky Way galaxy, containing both fictional and non-fictional planetary systems. Starfield takes place in a space-themed setting, and is the first new intellectual property developed by Bethesda in 25 years.[3] It was described by its director, Todd Howard, as "Skyrim in space". Like Bethesda's previous games, it was powered by the Creation Engine, though it was heavily modified to accommodate the game's procedural-generation system. Active development of the game started following the release of Fallout 4 in 2015. Announced in 2018, Starfield was delayed several times. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox Series X/S on September 6, 2023. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its open world, setting, and soundtrack, though its story and exploration were divisive. The title's first downloadable content (DLC), Shattered Space, was released on September 30, 2024.