Starfieldis on the way. The first new intellectual property from Bethesda Game Studios in over 25 years has set its sights on a November release in 2022, exactly 11 years since the launch ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Described by Todd Howard as “Skyrimin space,” the gaming community at large waits with bated breath and wild excitement for Bethesda to unveil its project proper.
WhileStarfield’smarketing has yet to kick into full gear, its official Twitter account has been posting snippets of the game’s lore through animated concept art – both previously seen, and brand new. Having acquainted players to the luxurious city of Neon standing on the waves of an aquatic world, as well as theStar Trek-inspired city of New Atlantis,Starfieldhas now brought attention to the last of the three major hubs in the game: the city of Akila.
RELATED:Animated Starfield Concept Art Shows Off New Atlantis
Going with a more worn, lived-in, weathered aesthetic akin toStar WarsorFirefly, Akila City seems to represent the perfect counterpoint to New Atlantis and Neon, and is speculated to be the main hub of the Freestar Collective, one ofStarfield’s two major factionswho fought in the devastating Colony War prior to the events of the game.
The focus on the cities in the game’s marketing at this stage seems to be an effort to get players familiarized with the setting ofStarfield, but also to show that each hub represents a different sci-fi aesthetic that might appeal to different players. Given that the CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer has said that he wantedStarfieldto become the most played Todd Howard gameever, it’s clear thatStarfieldwas designed with a wide appeal in mind.
Some fans in the community have pointed out that the three major cities teased thus far appear to be conceptually walled off from the rest of the game world, believing that they will exist as their own separate instance akin toSkyrim’scities. Given the spatial scope ofStarfieldcompared to anElder Scrollstitle, the interstellar setting might make transitioning from one hub into the next, or even between a hub and its outlying wilderness a lot less jarring – as seems to be the case with Akila CIty.
A deep dive onStarfieldwill likely answer most of these speculations, but all signs point that a more substantial look into the game is still a few months away.
Starfieldreleases for PC and Xbox Series X/S on November 11.
