Second Starfield DLC reportedly won't arrive until 2026

Following the underwhelming Shattered Space expansion last year, Starfield is getting at least one more post-launch DLC. However, Bethesda has been deathly silent about its progress, its theme, its name, and its release date. Now, a new report claims that the expansion won't arrive this year, and will instead launch in Spring 2026 alongside Starfield's PS5 version.

I really hoped that Starfield would end up as one of the best RPGs ever made. My love of Bethesda's work, and affinity with anything space-related, made it a match made in heaven. Sadly, it didn't clear the lofty expectation bar I, and many others, had set for it pre-release, but I still genuinely enjoyed my time with Starfield. Yes, it was obscenely bloated with empty, boring planets, and its main story lacked the big, consequential decisions that other Bethesda RPGs nailed. But I sank well over 100 hours into piloting and upgrading my ship, engaging in zero-gravity gunfights, and completing some decent faction missions and side quests.

The promise of more hand-crafted storytelling and a trip to the Va'ruun homeworld in Starfield's Shattered Space expansion filled me with hope that its reputation could be repaired. Maybe it would show what Starfield could (and maybe should) have been, I hoped. However, it too fell below expectations. By no means a bad DLC, it wasn't the return to true form I'd prayed for.

There is at least one more attempt for Starfield to change opinions with its second expansion - Todd Howard has said another DLC is coming, but we've heard absolutely nothing about it. Given 2024's Shattered Space arrived just over a year after the base game launched, I was hopeful DLC 2 would also arrive around 12 months after the first expansion. However, it sounds like I'll be waiting a while longer.

A new report from MP1st claims that the second Starfield DLC will launch alongside its Playstation 5 port - and that's not expected to arrive until Spring 2026. I was hopeful that we might see an announcement about the new expansion at Gamescom later this month, but MP1st believes that Starfield won't feature at all.

With Bethesda having the all-important The Elder Scrolls 6 release date to focus on, I do worry that the second Starfield expansion won't have been given the resources it needs to be a truly memorable, opinion-altering addition to the game. The claim that it's not coming out this year is potentially a good sign - more time to polish it up and create some memorable experiences. But I can't say I'm optimistic. Will I play it? For sure. Will I enjoy it? Probably. Will it get anywhere near the quality I believed Starfield could reach? I'm really not sure.

Until we get some official information on the new DLC, check out some of the best space games on PC right now. If your setup is in need of a refresh, also be sure to take a look at our best gaming monitor guide.

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