Starfield fans mourn what should have been launch day

Today was Starfield's original release date, and fans are taking a moment to mourn the day that might have been.

At E3 2021 - shortly after The Washington Post leaked the announcement, you might recall - Bethesda revealed that Starfield was due to launch on November 11, 2022. But the publisher announced in May 2022 that both Starfield and Redfall had been delayed to the first half of 2023. Neither game has yet gotten a new concrete release date.

Now that November 11, 2022 has arrived, fans have been making the most of it over on the Starfield subreddit. They're imagining alternate universes where the game is out, starting up new Oblivion playthroughs, and sharing threads from the game's original launch announcement. They're showing off incredible fanart.

not_today_by_me from r/Starfield

They're also showing off, uh, less incredible fanart - though honestly this is still pretty impressive for MS Paint.

starfield_ms_paint_part_1_the_announcement from r/Starfield

My favorite, though, is the Starfield review thread, where users are posting fake critical evaluations as if it were launch day. "I thought it was weird how the game turned out to be an elaborate ruse to sell me Skyrim again. Still having fun regardless" - 8/10.  "Loved when John Starfield said 'It's fieldin' time' and fielded all over the stars" - 9.5/10.

Y'all need a few more game journalism cliches for your fake reviews, though. Open with a story about something that happened in-game that nobody but you will care about. Complain about the game being too hard. Take a few quotes from other Reddit posts to pad your word count. For a real throwback, call it a 'mixed bag' despite its 'visceral' combat.

Jokes aside, fans have broadly been sensible about the Starfield's delay. "Do I wish it were a perfect scenario and this game didn't get delayed, and I'd be playing it right now?" Dennis_The_Menace_ asks. "Of course. Am I also happy that this game isn't being released in a broken, glitchy mess like so many other titles in the modern gaming world? Also yes."

Well, uh, let's not assume it won't be a 'broken, glitchy mess' - after all, Cyberpunk 2077 was delayed several times, too. Hopefully Bethesda will be able bring Starfield in for a solid landing regardless.

Today also happens to be the 11th anniversary of Skyrim's 11/11/11 release date - and that hot new game is among the PS Plus games for November.