A former Bethesda Game Studios developer says the sci-fi RPG Starfield never sold well enough to justify a full sequel, throwing cold water on years of fan speculation about a numbered follow-up. The comments, reported by Video Games Chronicle (VGC) and IGN on September 24, 2026, come from Kurt Kuhlmann, who worked as lead systems designer on Starfield before leaving the studio. His remarks, made during an interview with gaming outlet FRVR, mark one of the most direct insider assessments yet of how Starfield’s commercial performance is viewed inside Bethesda’s own ranks.
The timing matters. Starfield launched on September 6, 2023, to a “Generally Favorable” 83/100 on Metacritic and passed 1 million concurrent players on launch day, according to Microsoft’s own gaming leadership at the time. Three years later, Bethesda has shipped one expansion, absorbed a wave of Xbox layoffs, and shifted its public focus almost entirely to The Elder Scrolls VI. Kuhlmann’s comments are the clearest signal yet that a mainline Starfield 2 is not the sequel Bethesda is racing to build.
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What the Former Starfield Systems Designer Actually Said
Kuhlmann’s comments were not framed as an official Bethesda statement, and neither VGC nor IGN reported that the studio has formally cancelled or ruled out a sequel. Instead, Kuhlmann offered a personal, insider read on the odds. Speaking to FRVR, he said he does not believe the original game cleared the commercial bar Bethesda would need to greenlight a second entry.
“I don’t think Starfield was anywhere near successful enough to do a Starfield 2.”
Kurt Kuhlmann, Former Bethesda Lead Systems Designer, via TheGamer
He went further, telling FRVR he “would be very surprised” if Starfield ever gets a numbered sequel at all, a stronger position than the usual industry hedge of “no current plans.”
“I would be very surprised [if there was a sequel].”
Kurt Kuhlmann, Former Bethesda Lead Systems Designer, via Video Games Chronicle
What separates this from typical fan speculation is the source. Kuhlmann was not a marketing spokesperson or a community manager guessing at sales figures. He held a lead design role on the actual game, working directly on the systems that shaped how Starfield played, from its planet-hopping structure to its ship-building and outpost mechanics. When someone who built the game’s core systems says the numbers did not support a sequel, that carries more weight than the usual anonymous-source rumor cycle around Bethesda’s roadmap.
The Regret Behind the Doubt: “Lessons Learned” That May Never Ship
Kuhlmann’s tone was not dismissive of Starfield’s ambitions. In the same interview, he suggested that a hypothetical sequel could have corrected the first game’s most-criticized flaws, from its loading-screen-heavy planet transitions to its sprawling but often empty procedural worlds, precisely because the team would have already learned those lessons the hard way.
“It’s, in a way, too bad, because I think with the lessons learned on Starfield, a Starfield 2 could have been much closer to the game that Todd [Howard] had [in mind].”
Kurt Kuhlmann, Former Bethesda Lead Systems Designer, via TheGamer
That comment reframes the story. This is not simply “Starfield flopped.” It reads more like a studio veteran mourning a sequel that could have fixed what went wrong, but never got the green light to try. Kuhlmann has also described Starfield’s ambitious scope as something that stretched Bethesda outside its comfort zone, telling FRVR in the same interview that the studio “couldn’t really make it” in the way it originally envisioned, a comment on execution as much as reception.
“We couldn’t really make it.”
Kurt Kuhlmann, Former Bethesda Lead Systems Designer, via FRVR
Starfield’s Launch Numbers, Revisited
To understand why a lead designer would say the game “wasn’t anywhere near successful enough,” it helps to look at what actually happened when Starfield launched. The game arrived with enormous pressure attached: it was Bethesda’s first entirely new IP in 25 years and one of the most anticipated Xbox exclusives of the console generation. By most conventional review-score standards, it did fine. By the standard Bethesda apparently needed to justify a sequel, it evidently fell short.
| Metric | Starfield (Base Game) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | September 6, 2023 | Metacritic |
| Metacritic score | 83/100 (“Generally Favorable”), 81 critic reviews | Metacritic |
| OpenCritic score | 79% Top Critic Average | OpenCritic |
| Launch-day concurrent players | Over 1 million | Microsoft gaming leadership, reported at launch |
| Platform | Xbox Series X/S, PC, Xbox Game Pass | Bethesda |
An 83 on Metacritic is a respectable score for a game of this scope, and a million-plus concurrent players on day one is not a small number by any measure. But Starfield was never positioned as a modest release. It carried the budget, marketing weight, and internal expectations of a flagship Xbox exclusive meant to compete with the biggest open-world RPGs on the market. Kuhlmann’s comments suggest that against that internal bar, rather than against general industry benchmarks, the game came up short.
Shattered Space: The DLC That Undercut the Sequel Case
If Starfield’s base-game numbers left room for debate, its only major expansion did not help the argument for a sequel. Starfield: Shattered Space launched on September 30, 2024, for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and its reception was markedly weaker than the base game’s across every major review aggregator.
| Metric | Shattered Space DLC | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | September 30, 2024 | Bethesda |
| Metacritic score | 62/100 (“Mixed or Average”), 23 critic reviews | Metacritic |
| Metacritic user score | 4.7/10 (189 user ratings) | Metacritic |
| OpenCritic score | 40% Top Critic Average | OpenCritic |
| Steam user reviews | 29% positive (“Mostly Negative”), 3,036 reviews | Steam |
A 29% positive rating on Steam is the kind of number that gets flagged internally at any studio, let alone one owned by Microsoft and watched closely by Xbox leadership. Shattered Space was supposed to demonstrate that Bethesda could keep expanding Starfield’s universe in a way that won back skeptical players. Instead, it became a data point that likely made the case for a Starfield 2 harder to sell internally, not easier. Kuhlmann’s remarks line up with that trajectory: a base game that undershot expectations, followed by an expansion that undershot the base game.
Why Bethesda’s Real Bet Is The Elder Scrolls VI
According to VGC’s reporting, Bethesda continues to release DLC and updates for Starfield, but the studio’s primary focus has shifted to The Elder Scrolls VI. That is not a surprising pivot. The Elder Scrolls VI was announced back in 2018, and Bethesda has never given it a release date or launch window as of 2026. Reporting attributed to Bloomberg in July 2026 indicated the game remained at least two years from release at that point, which would put a realistic launch no earlier than roughly 2028, though that figure is a reported estimate rather than an official date.
The Elder Scrolls VI is, in commercial terms, the safer bet. Skyrim remains one of the best-selling and most continuously re-released RPGs of all time, and its built-in audience dwarfs the newer, unproven Starfield IP. From a pure resource-allocation standpoint, it makes sense that a studio choosing between doubling down on a new universe that undershot expectations and returning to its most bankable franchise would pick the latter, especially while operating under a leaner headcount following this year’s Xbox studio restructuring.
The 2026 Xbox Restructuring Backdrop
Kuhlmann’s comments do not exist in a vacuum. They land in the middle of a difficult year for Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda’s corporate parent since Microsoft’s 2021 acquisition. Xbox reportedly eliminated 1,600 positions immediately on July 6, 2026, with another 1,600 cuts expected by the end of Microsoft’s fiscal year 2027, bringing the reported total to roughly 3,200 positions across the division.
| Restructuring Event | Reported Figure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate cuts, July 6, 2026 | 1,600 positions | Reported by multiple outlets |
| Additional cuts by end of FY2027 | ~1,600 positions | Reported estimate |
| Total reported reduction | ~3,200 positions | Reported, not an official single-figure Microsoft statement |
| Elder Scrolls VI staff reportedly affected | More than 50 developers | Secondary reporting, unconfirmed officially |
| Bethesda’s public position on ES6 roadmap | “Roadmap is unaffected” | Reported Bethesda statement to YouTuber MrMattyPlays, July 2026 |
Bethesda itself was reportedly not spared, with more than 50 developers working on The Elder Scrolls VI said to be among those affected, though that specific figure comes from secondary reporting rather than an official Microsoft personnel announcement. Bethesda has publicly maintained that The Elder Scrolls VI’s roadmap is “unaffected” by the cuts, a position that sits in some tension with reporting describing a “substantial and cascading effect” on the project from former and current staff. This restructuring follows a broader pattern this year, including moves detailed in coverage of Xbox’s wider round of studio layoffs and the ongoing fallout across Microsoft’s first-party lineup.
Against that backdrop, a lead designer publicly downplaying the odds of Starfield 2 reads less like a bombshell and more like a confirmation of a decision that was likely already made internally. Studios do not typically staff up a new sequel to an underperforming IP while simultaneously cutting thousands of positions elsewhere in the same division.
A Divided Chorus: Not Every Former Bethesda Developer Agrees
Kuhlmann is not the only former Bethesda staffer to weigh in publicly on Starfield’s sequel prospects, and the opinions do not all point the same direction. Bruce Nesmith, another former Bethesda designer, offered a far more optimistic take back in 2024, saying he expected a Starfield 2 to be “one hell of a game” because it would let the studio address the criticism leveled at the original. That comment predates the release and reception of Shattered Space, and it reflects an earlier, more hopeful moment for the franchise, before the DLC’s 29% Steam approval rating became part of the public record.
The gap between Nesmith’s 2024 optimism and Kuhlmann’s 2026 skepticism is itself a useful timeline. It suggests that whatever internal confidence existed around a Starfield sequel eroded over the two years between the base game’s launch and the current moment, tracking almost exactly with Shattered Space’s underwhelming performance and the broader financial pressure Xbox has been under.
Historical Context: How Bethesda Usually Handles Sequels
Bethesda Game Studios has historically been slow and deliberate with sequels, not quick. The gap between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 ran to years, and the gap since Skyrim’s original release stretches well over a decade with no numbered follow-up yet in sight, only re-releases and remasters. Starfield was pitched as the exception: a brand-new universe meant to become a decades-spanning franchise in its own right, similar to how Skyrim and Fallout became evergreen platforms for expansions, mods, and re-releases.
What makes Kuhlmann’s comments notable in that context is how quickly the sequel conversation appears to have closed. Bethesda has, in the past, kept fans waiting years for confirmation either way on a new entry, letting speculation simmer rather than shutting it down. A former lead designer saying he would be “very surprised” by a sequel, barely three years after launch, is a much faster and more decisive signal than the studio’s usual pace of announcements.
Competitive Pressure: The Sci-Fi RPG Field Starfield Launched Into
Starfield did not launch into an empty genre. Space-exploration and sci-fi RPGs have become a crowded, competitive category, with titles built around procedural exploration, base-building, and deep customization all competing for the same audience’s time. Bethesda’s pitch for Starfield leaned heavily on scale: over 1,000 explorable planets, a huge ship-customization system, and the studio’s signature branching quest design layered on top of a new setting.
The problem, as widely discussed by critics and players at launch, was that scale did not automatically translate into density. A galaxy of largely procedurally generated planets could not match the hand-crafted feel that made Bethesda’s Fallout and Elder Scrolls worlds memorable. Kuhlmann’s comment that the studio “couldn’t really make it” in the way it intended reads as a tacit admission of that same criticism from someone who was inside the system-design process, not just responding to reviews after the fact.
Market Impact: What This Means for Xbox and Microsoft
For Microsoft, the practical market impact of Starfield 2 fading from the roadmap is more about opportunity cost than direct financial damage. Starfield remains a Game Pass library title generating ongoing engagement, and Bethesda is still shipping updates for it, per VGC’s reporting. But every hour of studio bandwidth spent maintaining Starfield is bandwidth not spent accelerating The Elder Scrolls VI, which carries far more commercial upside given the audience Skyrim built over the past 15 years.
That tradeoff is playing out while Xbox’s broader business faces its own pressure. Microsoft’s gaming division has spent 2026 navigating cost-cutting, studio consolidation, and public scrutiny over its Game Pass subscription strategy, all while trying to keep its first-party pipeline competitive against Sony and Nintendo heading toward the next console generation, a race already shadowed by next-gen hardware speculation. A Starfield sequel that even its own former lead designer doubts is simply not a priority Microsoft appears willing to fund right now.
Where This Leaves Bethesda’s Creative Identity
Starfield was supposed to prove Bethesda could still launch a brand-new IP at Skyrim-level scale. Instead, the studio’s most closely watched creative move this year has arguably been organizational rather than creative: absorbing Obsidian’s structure and talent following its restructuring around the Fallout: New Vegas legacy. That shift, combined with the muted Starfield 2 outlook, suggests Bethesda’s near-term identity is being built on its established franchises and absorbed studio talent rather than untested new universes.
None of this rules out Starfield entirely. Continued DLC, mod support through Bethesda’s Creation Kit, and further Game Pass updates all remain plausible, even likely, paths forward for the existing game. What appears increasingly unlikely, per Kuhlmann’s account, is a full numbered sequel built from scratch with a new budget and multi-year development cycle behind it.
What Comes Next: Five Predictions
- No Starfield 2 announcement before The Elder Scrolls VI ships. With ES6 reportedly still years away as of mid-2026, a Starfield sequel would likely need to wait even longer for a development slot, if it ever gets one at all.
- Continued but modest Starfield support. Expect incremental updates and possibly one more piece of paid or free content rather than a second full-scale expansion on the level of Shattered Space.
- Any future Starfield project would likely be reworked, not iterated. Given Kuhlmann’s comments about the game’s ambitious scope outstripping what the team could deliver, a revival would probably need a different structural approach rather than simply “more planets.”
- Modding keeps the PC version alive regardless of Bethesda’s roadmap. Creation Kit support has historically extended the shelf life of Bethesda titles well beyond their official content cycle, and Starfield is likely to follow that pattern.
- Xbox’s restructuring will keep shaping the conversation. As long as headcount and budget questions dominate Xbox Game Studios, expect more former employees to speak candidly, as Kuhlmann did, about which projects did and did not clear internal bars for continued investment.
The Bottom Line
Kuhlmann’s comments do not amount to an official Bethesda cancellation, and readers should treat them as one well-placed former insider’s assessment rather than a confirmed corporate decision. But the assessment lines up with everything publicly observable about Starfield’s trajectory since 2023: a solid but unspectacular critical reception, a poorly received expansion, a studio parent going through major layoffs, and a corporate focus that has visibly shifted toward The Elder Scrolls VI. Whether or not Bethesda ever says the words “Starfield 2 is cancelled,” the practical outcome, based on the evidence available today, looks very much like a sequel that quietly never gets made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Bethesda officially cancel Starfield 2?
No. Neither VGC nor IGN reported an official Bethesda cancellation. The comments came from Kurt Kuhlmann, a former Bethesda lead systems designer, sharing his personal expectation that a sequel is unlikely, not a confirmed studio decision.
Who is Kurt Kuhlmann?
Kurt Kuhlmann is a former Bethesda Game Studios developer who worked as lead systems designer on Starfield. He made his comments about Starfield 2’s prospects in an interview with gaming outlet FRVR, later reported by VGC, IGN, and TheGamer.
How well did Starfield actually sell?
Bethesda and Microsoft have not published detailed sales figures. The clearest official data point is that Starfield surpassed 1 million concurrent players on its September 6, 2023 launch day, according to Microsoft’s gaming leadership at the time. Beyond that, no verified official sales total has been released.
How was Starfield: Shattered Space received?
Poorly compared to the base game. The September 30, 2024 expansion scored 62/100 on Metacritic and 40% on OpenCritic, with a 4.7/10 Metacritic user score and just 29% positive user reviews on Steam.
Is Bethesda still supporting Starfield?
According to VGC’s reporting, yes. Bethesda continues to release DLC and updates for Starfield, even as its primary internal focus has shifted to The Elder Scrolls VI.
When will The Elder Scrolls VI release?
Bethesda has not announced a release date or launch window. Reporting attributed to Bloomberg in July 2026 indicated the game was at least two years from release at that time, which would put a plausible launch no earlier than around 2028, though that remains a reported estimate rather than an official date.
Did the 2026 Xbox layoffs affect Starfield or Elder Scrolls VI staff?
Xbox reportedly cut around 1,600 positions immediately in July 2026, with another 1,600 expected by the end of Microsoft’s fiscal year 2027. Secondary reporting says more than 50 developers working on The Elder Scrolls VI were among those affected, though Bethesda has publicly stated the game’s roadmap is unaffected. Neither figure has been confirmed in a single official Microsoft personnel announcement.
Do other former Bethesda developers agree Starfield 2 is unlikely?
Opinions differ. Former Bethesda designer Bruce Nesmith said in 2024 that he expected a Starfield sequel to be “one hell of a game” that could fix the original’s flaws, a more optimistic view offered before Shattered Space’s weak reception became public.
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