Starfield confirms release date plans, including pre-load schedule

Fans eagerly awaiting the release of Bethesda’s epic RPG Starfield have reason to cheer, because the game has officially gone gold. This means that the game is in the hands of disc manufacturers ahead of its September launch for Xbox Series X/S, PC and Xbox Game Pass. It also means there shouldn’t be any last-minute delays to the hotly anticipated role-playing game. With the September 6 release date just weeks away, Bethesda has also revealed pre-load dates for both Xbox and PC.

If you want to ensure Starfield is downloaded and ready to play the moment it launches, you can pre-load the game ahead of schedule.

Xbox pre-loading for Starfield goes live on August 17, while PC pre-loading will be available from August 30.

Judging by its Steam page, Starfield will take up a massive 125GB on your hard drive, so you might need to delete some games to make it fit.

Hopefully the Xbox versions won’t be quite so large, especially for fans who own an Xbox Series S.

As a reminder, Starfield will actually be playable from September 1, but only if you’ve pre-ordered the Premium Edition.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Starfield is the hugely ambitious new game from the creators of the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series.

Players will be able to explore thousands of planets as part of a galaxy-spanning adventure.

“In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery,” reads the official description.

“The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people.

“From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.”