Will Starfield have multiplayer support?

Starfield is one of the biggest game releases of 2023, and, with its inclusion on Xbox Game Pass on day one, it will probably be one of the most played games of the year too. The expansive universe that Starfield is offering, complete with companions, bases, and planetary exploration, looks ripe for some multiplayer fun. So will Starfield have multiplayer support?

Why won’t Starfield have multiplayer?

Unfortunately, for co-op and PVP lovers, the answer is no. Despite its massive world, roster of companions, and multitude of features, Starfield remains an entirely single-player experience. This really shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering who made Starfield.

Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield is being made by the same people who brought us Skyrim and Fallout 3, which are some of the best single-player experiences in gaming. Starfield isn’t part of the Elder Scrolls or Fallout franchises, but it follows in those games’ immersive single-player footsteps.

Bethesda Game Studios also hasn’t had a lot of luck with multiplayer offerings. While games like The Elder Scrolls Online are certainly popular, Bethesda’s last major release, Fallout 76, was an online multiplayer entry into the franchise. Its reception was decidedly poor, with fans complaining about buggy gameplay and an empty world. With a Metacritic rating of just 52, that game fell well below the lofty expectations that people have when they think of the Skyrim developer. It makes sense then that Bethesda is going back to what it does best with Starfield.

If you really want a spacefaring RPG that does feature multiplayer, you might want to look at something like No Man’s Sky to scratch that itch. However, if you want to explore a vast universe and are happy to do it on your lonesome, Starfield releases on Xbox and PC Game Pass when it launches on September 6.