AsStarfield’s newShattered SpaceDLC releases to an underwhelming critical reception, a disappointingly low player count could spell trouble for the game’s future expansions. Departing from Bethesda’s pre-established franchises inFalloutandThe Elder Scrolls,Starfield’s sci-fi setting and focus on space exploration were intended to set it apart as an open-world RPG. However, a year after its initial release, and with the launch of its first major DLC,the critical reception toStarfieldhas been mixed at best, with many players expressing disappointment in the game’s mechanics, exploration, and story.
Unfortunately, while players might have hoped thatStarfield’s first DLC could fix the problemsof the base game,Shattered Spacehas been very poorly received, sitting at Mostly Negative on Steam with only 30% positive reviews - a significantly worse reception than the base game received when it launched in September 2023. But, while players are finding faults withStarfield’s current DLC, including uninteresting writing, unambitious scope, and a general lack of new content for the DLC’s $30 price tag,Shattered Space’s poor performance could also have implications for the future ofStarfield’s DLC.
Just How Low Is Shattered Space’s Player Count?
Starfield Draws Similar Numbers To Skyrim And Fallout 4, Despite Recent DLC Launch
Unfortunately,Shattered Space’spoor critical receptionis far from the game’s only problem - as discussed in an article fromForbes,the DLC also hasn’t bolsteredStarfield’s player countas much as might be expected of the game’s first major DLC, havingpeaked at 21,792 players when the DLC launched on September 30. From there,Starfield’s player count (viaSteam Charts) has quickly begun to stagnate again, having peaked again at 18,762 players on Sunday, October 6, and more recently bottoming out at around 9,000 players during the weekdays.
Prior to the launch ofShattered Space,Starfield’s player count tended to peak at around 12,000 players on weekends (outside an update on September 25 that resulted in a peak of around 15,000 players).
By comparison,Starfield’s peak player counts during weekends have been lower than those of theSkyrim Special Edition(a 2016 re-release of a game from 2011) on Steam since the release ofShattered Space, and its September 30 launch day peak was only slightly higher than that ofFallout 4on the same day. To compareStarfieldto more recent releases,games likeElden Ring,Cyberpunk 2077, and especiallyBaldur’s Gate 3(released in the same year asStarfield), have all maintained significantly higher player counts without the recent release of any DLC.
Of course,a significant portion ofStarfield’s audience would be playing the game on Game Pass or Xbox instead, neither of which offer direct player count numbers. As pointed out by Tassi, however,Starfield’s placing in popularity rankings on either platform hasn’t shifted much with the release ofShattered Space, providing at least a vague indicator that the DLC hasn’t given the game much of a boost even outside Steam - though it should also be pointed out thatStarfieldis consistently one of the most popular single-player games onboth Game Pass and Xbox.
After Shattered Space, Will Starfield Players Come Back For More DLC?
Shattered Space Could Worsen Player Interest In Starfield For Future DLC
Unfortunately,ShatteredSpace’s low numbers could be a bad sign for futureStarfieldDLCas, extrapolating from the game’s Steam numbers, only a fraction of the game’s initial playerbase returned to the game the first time around. Now, with thegenerally poor reception ofShattered SpaceandStarfield’s waning popularity (at least on Steam), whatever future DLC that Bethesda might have planned could suffer from even lower returns, as the game’s reputation suffers and more players are driven away byShattered Space’s lackluster release.
Starfield: Shattered Space Review - A Scientific Space Slog That Fails To Launch
Starfield: Shattered Space promised to fulfill the expectations of Starfield fans, but falls short in more than one way and fails to deliver fun.
There is a chance that future DLC could turn things around forStarfield, especially if that future DLC is more positively received, but it’s unfortunately relatively unlikely for player counts to peak further. For reference,Fallout 4’s first major DLC,Far Harbor, resulted in a peak of around 74,000 players, by far the highest peak that the game would achieve since launch until theFalloutTV show renewed mainstream interest in the series in 2024.
In this comparison, however, it’s also true thatFar Harborwas received far more positively thanShattered Space, so if there’s any chance forStarfieldto turn its low player count around, it would be tomake sure that the game’s next DLC is of better quality- something that’s much easier said than done. While theturnaround of games likeCyberpunk 2077andNo Man’s Skydoes show that there’s a chance forStarfieldto bounce back, however,Shattered Spaceis already a very poor sign for the game’s future DLC releases.
After Shattered Space, Expectations For Starfield’s DLC Are Low
Of course,there’s also the possibility thatShattered Spacewas already the final nail in the coffin forStarfield-while multiple DLCs have been promised, the poor quality and performance ofShattered Spacedoesn’t instill much confidence inStarfield’s future.Based on the poor impression made by the first DLC, players can only really expect more of the same, which, for a DLC that already failed to meaningfully improve on the base game, means low expectations and likely diminishing returns on whichever DLC Bethesda does decide to release forStarfieldin the future.
Even more drastic is the possibility thatShattered Space’s lackluster reception might mark the end ofStarfieldDLC altogether. With Bethesda’s other franchises still performing relatively well, even with a lack of recent releases, the low player countofStarfieldcould encourage the studio to simply move on to other high-priority projects - most notably,Elder Scrolls 6, which was announced in 2018, or a prospectiveFallout 5, banking on the popularity of the live-action TV series. While nothing has been announced, there is the possibility thatShattered Space’s panned launch will result in Bethesda moving on from Starfield entirely.
Has Starfield Shattered Space DLC Failed To Deliver? Steam Players Seem To Think So
Starfield’s first DLC, Shattered Space, is getting a mixed reception on Steam despite high expectations - but rhere are many potential reasons why.
Of course, it’s hard to know exact sales numbers, or even general player counts on platforms other than Steam, soStarfieldcould very well be performing much better than its numbers suggest. For being Bethesda’s newest open-world RPG and major new franchise, however,Starfield’s recent numbers on Steam are a massive disappointment, and a poor indicator for whatever future DLC Bethesda might have planned. While it’s still too early to tell,Starfield’sShattered SpaceDLC could have already marked the end for the game’s post-launch support.
