Ex-Bethesda Designer Doubts Starfield Sequel

Kurt Kuhlmann, a former systems designer at Bethesda who worked on Starfield, has said he would be very surprised if the studio made a Starfield sequel. In a recent interview, Kuhlmann explained that Starfield was not successful enough to justify a sequel, pointing to its commercial performance.

Starfield is estimated to have generated $300 million in revenue as of April, against a reported budget of $200 million. While that suggests a profit, Kuhlmann's comments indicate it may not have met Bethesda's expectations for a new franchise.

Bethesda is currently focused on The Elder Scrolls 6, the next main entry in its long-running RPG series. The studio has continued to support Starfield with free updates and DLC, and in July said the game remains an important part of its future.

Kuhlmann also criticized Starfield's outpost building mechanic, saying it was insufficiently integrated with the rest of the game. He noted that Fallout 4 had similar problems integrating settlement building with story and missions.

Despite the doubts, Kuhlmann suggested that a Starfield 2 could have been closer to Todd Howard's vision thanks to lessons learned during development. For now, Bethesda's attention appears to be elsewhere.