Bethesda's Starfield And Redfall Both Hit With Delays

Bethesda has announced that it is delaying two of its upcoming marquee titles — "Starfield" and "Redfall." Both the games are now slated for a release in the first half of 2023. While the delay is disappointing in itself, what is going to leave excited fans baffled is the fact that Bethesda has not given any specific reason for pushing back the two games.

At the same time, the delay might be a blessing in disguise. In its statement posted on Twitter, Bethesda notes that it wants to "ensure that you receive the best, most polished versions" of the two games when they're out. It appears that Bethesda hit some internal snag with development during the pandemic, a source of disruption that has forced a healthy number of studios to delay their project, with Bethesda being just the latest addition to the list.

Plus, taking more time for development is a sign that the games likely won't turn out to be a buggy mess with performance issues. Take for example "Cyberpunk 2077," which served bucketloads of issues in the early days following its release and put CD Projekt RED at the center of scathing criticism from fans who waited years for the highly-anticipated game. Bethesda apparently wants to avoid that fate for its upcoming projects, both of which have generated a lot of hype since they were first revealed.

The studio hasn't released any gameplay material yet for either game, which suggests that a lot of work is still left before the teams behind each game can stitch together presentable gameplay footage. Microsoft, which now owns Bethesda following a blockbuster multi-billion dollar acquisition, is hosting an Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12 and it is quite likely that more details about "Starfield" and "Redfall" will be shared next month. The company has promised that the event will include "everything you need to know about the diverse lineup of games coming soon to the Xbox ecosystem," which does give some hope of hearing more about the two delayed games. 

"Starfield," which is touted to be the "first new universe in 25 years," from the studio, is being developed by the same team behind hits like "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" and "Fallout 4." Originally slated for a release on November 11 of 2022 exclusively for Xbox (Series X/S) and PC, the upcoming space-faring RPG is built using the new Creation Engine 2. "Redfall," on the other hand, is an open-world co-op FPS from Arkane Austin that has delivered bangers like "Prey" and "Dishonored" in the past. The game revolves around a team of hardcore survivors trying to make their way out of a vampire-infested town and will include both single-player and four-player co-op modes.