Weeks ahead of official launch, Starfield is already being sold in stores

Starfield screenshots
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Bethesda's mammoth space RPG Starfield finally arrives next month on September 6, but by the looks of things, not all players will have to wait until then. And no, we're not talking about the five-day Starfield early access period.

Over on Twitter, @starfieldbeyond claims that Starfield has broken its street date. "Some Starfield discs are making it to the wild just around a week before Early Access launch," the user says. Their warning is accompanied by an image of a boxed version of the game for Xbox Series X, but where it came from or who happened to get a hold of it is unclear.

Make sure you're ready for Starfield

With players getting their hands on Starfield early, leaks are inevitable, and already some are starting to appear online. Much of that appears to be shaky, over-the-shoulder footage, but we're likely to see even more as we get closer to launch, so if you're keen to avoid spoilers, you'll need to be very cautious while on the web over the next couple of weeks.

Back in June, Starfield fans were less than impressed after a tweet from a Bethesda customer support representative stated that all physical editions will "include a code for the chosen platform" and that "there are no physical discs". Bethesda later confirmed that the physical Standard Edition of Starfield on Xbox will contain a disk.

Those opting to get the game digitally, either on Game Pass or through the Microsoft Store, can start downloading it now. Head on over to our Starfield preload guide for details on file size and all the other info you need.

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Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.