Starfield fans might have to wait a lot longer than expected for their next interstellar adventure. According to a recent rumor, the sci-fi epic’s second major DLC expansion could be slipping past 2025, pushing its potential release window into early 2026.
Another mission, not quite ready for liftoff?
The rumour stems from a comment made by known industry leaker NateTheHate, who took to ResetEra to respond to a forum user’s question about Starfield’s future content. His cryptic yet revealing remark was: “Another DLC expansion is still to come, though it doesn’t seem like it’ll make 2025 at this point.”
While it’s not a formal confirmation, it lines up closely with an earlier tease from insider Jez Corden, who also hinted that more content was in the works. NateTheHate’s words have only fueled speculation that Starfield’s second major expansion is deep in the pipeline, just not close to done.
‘Shattered Space’ struggles set high stakes
Shattered Space, Starfield’s first DLC expansion, didn’t quite deliver the momentum many fans hoped would revive enthusiasm for the game. While it brought new content, its reception was lukewarm across the board, failing to significantly move the needle or reinvigorate the player base. With expectations set higher for the next expansion, Bethesda faces a crucial juncture. If the next release doesn’t captivate the community, it could very well mark the end of Starfield’s post-launch support.
Let’s be honest: Starfield launched hot in September 2023 with major hype and sky-high expectations. But as the months ticked by, enthusiasm cooled. The game shifted from ‘Mostly Positive’ to a ‘Mixed’ rating on Steam, as hardcore fans and curious spacefarers alike voiced frustrations, particularly with the heavy reliance on procedural generation instead of classic Bethesda-style hand-crafted worlds. That design choice didn’t land well with a community that’s grown to expect deep, immersive environments like those in Skyrim or Fallout: New Vegas.
What’s powering Starfield now? Mods.
And yet, there is a silver lining shining in this galactic storm. The Starfield modding community is thriving. In fact, modders have taken the game to another level, with Starfield outperforming even Morrowind in downloads on Nexus Mods. New quests, visual upgrades, overhauls, immersion tweaks: the creativity is flowing.
Even if Bethesda’s next official DLC turns out to be its last hurrah, this community might just keep the game alive long after the devs pack up their star charts. These are the fans who’ll boldly mod where no one has modded before.
So when’s the next DLC coming?
Right now, we’re in rumour territory. There’s no formal announcement from Bethesda about the second major expansion’s timeline. But NateTheHate’s reputation precedes him: he’s leaked accurate info in the past, including the possibility of Starfield making the jump to PlayStation 5, another bold claim currently catching heat in industry circles.
If his word proves true again, expect news on the next DLC expansion to trickle out sometime in 2025, with a real chance that we’ll be waiting until 2026 for the actual release.
Delayed? Yeah. Dead? Not quite.
Sure, it’s disappointing to hear (even as rumour) that Starfield’s next big content drop might be more than a year away. But given the size and scope of the game — and the need to course-correct after Shattered Space — Bethesda probably needs this extra time to make it worthwhile. It’s a long haul, but maybe, just maybe, the stars will finally align.