"At Bethesda Game Studios, our mantra has always been that we don't say 'no' to the player," says Angela Browder, studio director of the creative house that designed your favorite RPGs – from The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion to Skyrim, Fallout 3 to Fallout 4.
There's been a contingent of players who have spent the last three years asking Bethesda to say yes to one very specific question: 'Can you change this in Starfield?' There's been requests for more varied exploration and intuitive customization; sleeker Outpost management and expanded combat systems; the ability to free travel between planets within a star system, the missing piece of the space captain fantasy that Starfield so dutifully propagates. And let's not forget about those hoping it would one day shed its console exclusivity and land on PlayStation 5.
So Bethesda has finally done what it has always done best: it said yes. The Free Lanes update and Terran Armada expansion are due to arrive in tandem on April 7, 2026, and designed to deliver on a great many of these asks from the Starfield community. Executive producer Todd Howard tells me that many of the requests aligned with Bethesda's own sense of where it wanted to see change: "we knew we needed to do something that affects the game flow on a meta level."
There were also some aspects he is clearly conflicted about altering – we'll explore that in greater detail throughout this week, as we explore the Future of Starfield. We recently flew out to Bethesda Game Studios' Rockville, Maryland headquarters to get exclusive access to the team working to revitalize the developer's most divisive adventure. We also got brand new details on what else the studio is up to, including an update on The Elder Scrolls 6, a look at what's next for Fallout 76, and insight into how the Creations initiative is evolving.
Join us daily for more from our this GamesRadar+ Special Edition exploring the Future of Starfield. You'll also hear from other Bethesda veterans like studio design director Emil Pagliarulo to understand why Bethesda didn't pursue a fabled 'Starfield 2.0' relaunch. Studio art director Istvan Pely will dive into why he believes Starfield remains at its heart the game Bethesda always wanted it to be, and from lead creative producer Tim Lamb to dive into detail on all the biggest updates.
Join us daily between March 17-22 to explore the Future of Starfield with GamesRadar+
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Bethesda Game Studios just announced Free Lanes, the most significant update that Starfield has received since its original release in 2023. The studio has taken steps to address many underlying systems and mechanics in an attempt to make "the best version of Starfield." Here, lead creative producer Tim Lamb walks us through the five biggest changes in the Free Lanes update.
During my time visiting Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard teased that "the majority of this building is working on The Elder Scrolls 6". While I was there to peer into the Future of Starfield, we had to draw Bethesda's long-serving executive producer on the upcoming RPG. So here's everything Howard told us about The Elder Scrolls 6, and what it means for the future of Bethesda.
Starfield first took to the stars on September 6, 2023. Unlike other Bethesda RPGs, such as Fallout 4 and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Starfield launched as a console exclusive on Xbox Series X. This was a result of Bethesda being acquired by Microsoft in 2021. Much has changed since then, with Xbox pursuing a wider multiplatform strategy – the result is Starfield arriving on PS5 this April.
Starfield is set to enter into its next era on April 7, 2026. The Bethesda RPG is going to receive two significant updates. The first is a Free Lanes patch that addresses some key mechanics and systems, designed to help make the game more immersive than ever before. The second is Terran Armada – a brand new, premium, and story-focused expansion that unfolds at a galactic level.
Dive Deeper into Starfield
How your feedback helped Bethesda shape Starfield's biggest updates
Starfield was criticized for having too many loading screens, but Bethesda's Tim Lamb says they "are necessary"
"There's more to come for Starfield": Bethesda says the Terran Armada DLC isn't the end of the line for RPG
Starfield will finally let you have a true "home among the stars" with its new Asteroid Manor player house – if you can afford it
"We were never going to make Mass Effect": Skyrim and Fallout artist says Bethesda had to adapt with Starfield
As Starfield finally clears for landing on PS5, here's when it is due to release, how much it costs, the editions, and more.
Starfield gets its answer to Fallout 3 and 4's Vault Boy bobbleheads, complete with a playset to display the whole collection
Starfield Gameplay
Dive Deeper into Bethesda
"There's a million ways it could have gone wrong": How returning to Oblivion reshaped Todd Howard's stance on remasters
"The majority of this building is working on The Elder Scrolls 6": Bethesda's focus is finally on the RPG it announced in 2018
With The Elder Scrolls 6, Todd Howard says Bethesda has "handled" the transition to a new Creation Engine "better than we ever have"
Todd Howard was "really, really sorry" to see former Xbox chief Phil Spencer retire, but says that the new CEO Asha Sharma "is great"
First Terran Armada Screenshots
Our Future of Starfield series is set to run all week, diving deep into Starfield, The Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout 76, the legacy of Oblivion Remastered, and more. Just keep an eye out for the 'Future of Starfield' badge to identify all related articles.
