Bethesda is reportedly hoping to release Starfield in 2021

Bethesda is reportedly hoping to release Starfield, its upcoming science-fiction game, in 2021.

In a discussion thread on Resetera concerning a rumored Microsoft event taking place next month, known insider NateDrake said that "there has been a strong hope & desire to have Starfield launch this [year]." They go on to say, however, that "how major the impacts due to COVID have been on the title is anyone's guess," but that Bethesda was aiming for a 2021 launch "as of a few months ago."

Further down the thread, NateDrake said that he couldn't be 100% sure that the game will come out this year, but "as of late last year, I was hearing the goal was to launch this year," acknowledging that any number of issues could cause that release date to be pushed back.

Bethesda has remained quiet on Starfield for a long time, but the studio is used to surprisingly quick turnarounds on their game releases. Fallout 4 launched just a few months after Bethesda revealed it at E3 2015, and Fallout 76 arrived in the same year as its announcement, so Starfield could follow a similar trajectory.

As with any leak of this nature, it's worth waiting for official confirmation, but NateDrake has established themselves as a reliable insider across the industry in recent years, particularly in regards to Nintendo's slate of games and schedule of Direct presentations.

If Starfield does end up coming out this year, we can finally turn our heads towards The Elder Scrolls 6.