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Starfield has topped 10 million players in two weeks

Bethesda's biggest launch ever just got even bigger.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

September 20, 2023

1 Min Read
A screenshot from Starfield showing a player looking into space through their ship's porthole

Starfield has attracted over 10 million players in two weeks, further cementing its position as the biggest Bethesda launch in history.

The sci-fi RPG officially launched on September 6, 2023, for Xbox Series X | S and Windows PC and surpassed 6 million players during its first two days on shelves.

It's a notable milestone for Microsoft and Bethesda, given the title is the latter's first new franchise in over 25 years.

Right now, there's no way of knowing how many of those 10 million players accessed the game via Xbox Game Pass, with the subscription service granting day-one access to all of Microsoft's first-party titles, including Starfield.

Although it seems likely a good chunk of Starfield's players are Xbox Game Pass subscribers, there's also evidence to suggest a decent number of players paid extra to access the game early by splashing out on the Premium or Constellation Edition.

As we reported at launch, SteamDB estimated that Starfield attracted just under 250,000 concurrent users on Steam alone prior to launch–indicating a number of people decided to spend extra to lift off early.

News of Starfield's latest milestone comes amid a tumultuous week for Microsoft, with a cache of leaked documents submitted during the recent FTC v Microsoft trial revealing the company's hardware plans for the remainder of the decade and other tidbits such as the cost of Xbox Game Pass deals and the fact Phil Spencer once discussed the notion of Microsoft acquiring Nintendo.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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