Starfield's Release Date Was Reportedly Chosen By Bethesda, Not Microsoft

thegamer.com:

Earlier this week, we got to see the long-awaited reveal of Starfield's release date, as we'll be able to traverse the stars later this year on September 6. Questions were raised about a potential release date earlier this year, as the same insider that leaked the existence of Hi-Fi Rush claimed that both Starfield and Arkane's upcoming title Redfall could be in rough shape depending on their release dates.

However, it seems like Microsoft is willing to give Bethesda as much time as it needs to make Starfield as good as it can be, as it's been reported that the developer was allowed to choose its own release date for the game. This is according to VGC journalist Jordan Middler, who claimed in the site's most recent podcast episode that Microsoft is keenly aware about releasing a potential "Cyberpunk" and has given free rein to Bethesda and Todd Howard to choose a release date that works best for them.

Related: Starfield's Latest Trailer Makes It Seem Small, And That's A Good Thing

"The date was always in flux, was always on Bethesda and Todd Howard to come to Xbox and say "right let's do this" because Xbox is acutely aware they they cannot Cyberpunk this," says Middler. This cannot happen again, especially with the Bethesda reputation for how fucked their games can generally be at launch.

If that information is accurate and Bethesda has been allowed to pick Starfield's release date rather than succumb to pressure from Microsoft, then that's only good news for those hoping it turns out well. It means Bethesda has been given as much time as it needs to make sure Starfield launches in a satisfactory state, and that we shouldn't see any major issues upon release.

Then again, this is Bethesda we're talking about, and its