It's happening! In a surprise shadowdrop upload, Bethesda has confirmed that the release date of its highly anticipated sci-fi RPG, Starfield, is September 6, 2023. Furthermore, the studio revealed that the much-discussed Starfield deep-dive showcase, which it has labeled "Starfield Direct," is slated for June 11.
That date is conspicuously close to when Summer press events like E3 and Summer Game Fest occur. Xbox, which now has Bethesda under its umbrella, has already confirmed that it will put on a Summer presentation as usual, so it's most likely that this Starfield Direct will be part of said presentation.
The trailer, as you can see below, doesn't reveal much new information, but the beginning portions do show some new cinematic footage that seems to hint at the game's overarching plot. A voiceover references some sort of anomaly in space, and they continue to show a bundle of gyrating rings, which seems to be the mystical enigma that the player will uncover throughout the game.
Long-time lead of Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard, then appeared in the video to speak a bit more about Starfield. He stated that he knows how long fans have been waiting for a new game from them, but explained that they've poured themselves into this project and that even he's surprised how much they've poured, as the title "is large."
He explained that Starfield has many of the hallmarks that you've come to expect from a Bethesda-developed title but that "it's also a very unique experience. Though it's only via a few snippets or far-away shots, the video actually shows previously unseen Starfield gameplay. We see a screen in the background showcasing someone running through a deserted planet, swiftly switching between first-person and third-person.
Towards the end, we get a quick montage of clips, each of which reveals something new. We see a player walking through a forest-like biome with some alien dinosaurs in the distance. We see someone sorting through different customization options for their helmet, and, finally, we see a player fighting a large parasite-looking alien creature, with a saw-toothed circular mouth for a face.