It took eight months, but Starfield is finally getting proper surface maps in the RPG's largest update since launch

Starfield
(Image credit: Bethesda)

It's been a long time coming, but Bethesda's enormous space-exploration RPG Starfield is finally getting an overhaul to its surface maps, after the ones it launched with left plenty to be desired. 

From launch, if you opened Starfield's map when in a city, you'd be greeted by nothing but a blue background covered in dots, with a few markers here and there in a lackluster attempt to point you in the right direction. Needless to say, the existing maps are hardly the most helpful things to look at if you're feeling lost, and players have been calling for changes ever since the RPG launched into early access. Thankfully, last December it was confirmed that this would be addressed, and Bethesda has now revealed that the updated surface maps are included as part of the game's massive May update, which is set to be the "largest update since launch." 

"We see a lot of feedback online that players really want a lot more utility and detail in our surface maps," art director Istvan Pely says in a new video detailing the update. "So, we took what's there, we blew it all up, and instead now we have a whole new aesthetic to the surface maps where you can see the terrain, all the detail on the terrain, trees, rocks, all the structures in the loading zone - it's a lot easier to navigate. 

"We've also made it easier to get around the cities. You can see markers for all the shops, the Enhance boutiques, restaurants. You name it, it's all there. It's a lot easier to get around."

In a blog post explaining the changes further, Bethesda adds that terrain markings replace the notorious surface dots, while the new markers in major cities also double as fast travel points to zip around even faster. It's a major upgrade, and should hopefully make exploring Starfield's vast worlds feel more approachable.

Starfield's May update is already playable via Steam beta, but for everyone else, the update will be rolled out on May 15, so there's not too long to wait. It also includes a 60 FPS performance mode on Xbox Series X, as well as the ability to buff your carrying capacity so you can hoard even more items. 

If you're looking for more games to dive into, be sure to check out our picks for the top 25 best RPGs.

Catherine Lewis
News Writer

I'm one of 12DOVE's news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

Read more
Starfield
Bethesda breaks silence as Starfield fans hope for an update: "We have a lot of exciting things planned for the game this year"
A player character looks out at a sci-fi landscape in No Man's Sky's Worlds Part II update.
Massive No Man's Sky update adds new solar systems, revamped tech, deeper sea exploration, and gas giants "ten times bigger than our biggest planet"
Starfield space combat, with a distant vessel exploding
Former Starfield dev says the space RPG "could have existed without those" surplus loading screens, with many added after he left production
Starfield
10 best games like Starfield to get swept up in when you're ready to leave Constellation
No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky is back in Steam's top-sellers chart after massive update: "This is humbling"
The Elder Scrolls 6 screenshot of the landscape show in the announcement teaser
Upcoming Bethesda games: every game currently in the works
Latest in RPG
Atomfall screenshot
Fallout: New Vegas is a big inspiration for Atomfall, which is why you’ll be able to kill every NPC in post-apocalyptic Cumbria
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin's Creed Shadows' transmog looks set to combine the best of Odyssey and Vahalla to make changing my drip easier than ever
Stardew Valley Baldur's Gate 3 mod Baldur's Village
Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke gives his official approval to the Stardew Valley mod that brings the D&D RPG to Pelican Town
The Witcher 3 lead says "not many games" were trying to match the RPG back in 2015, and that meant "there was a risk" to making it in the first place
The Blood of Dawnwalker
The Witcher 3 dev says his new vampire RPG Blood of Dawnwalker wants to challenge genre conventions, but only if "we're changing them to actually achieve some goal"
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
The Witcher 3 devs created a Jekyll & Hyde-style character for their new vampire RPG "because nobody yet has done that"
Latest in News
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
5 years after starting development, Neil Druckmann says Naughty Dog's new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "still evolving and changing as we're making it"
Silent Hill f
After 2 years of silence, the next mainline Silent Hill game is getting a dedicated stream this week with "the latest news"
Original Xbox console
Former Microsoft exec says the first Xbox was killed early in favor of 360 because it was "losing money left right and center," but luckily "we could afford to hemorrhage cash"
A Monster Hunter Wilds character holding binoculars.
Despite Monster Hunter Wilds suffering monstrous performance problems on PC, it still outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the US
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann says Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will also be about "being lonely," as if his zombie apocalypse wasn’t isolating enough: "I really want you to be lost"
A screenshot of Jordan drinking a soda during the reveal trailer for Intergalactic: The Hertic Prophet.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "a game about faith and religion," which Neil Druckmann jokes will surely get less hate than The Last of Us 2