Starfield and Redfall delayed to "first half of 2023"

Starfield
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Bethesda has announced a Redfall and Starfield delay, pushing both games into 2023.

Today, the publisher announced on Twitter that Starfield and Redfall have been delayed to the first half of 2023. 

The news comes just weeks before the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12, where both titles were expected to receive big deep dives ahead of their original 2022 release dates. In an official statement, Bethesda said of the delay: 

"We've made the difficult decision to delay the launches of Redfall and Starfield to the first half of 2023. The teams at Arkane Austin (Redfall) and Bethesda Game Studios (Starfield) have incredible ambitions for their games, and we want to ensure that you receive the best, most polished versions of them.

"We want to thank everyone for their excitement for Redfall and Starfield. That energy is a huge part of what inspires all of us every day and drives our own excitement for what we are creating."

Starfield and Redfall were positioned as the two major upcoming Xbox Series X exclusives for this year. Starfield is Bethesda Game Studios' first new IP in 25 years and is being touted as "Skyrim in space"; originally scheduled to launch on 11 November, 2022, its absence leaves a huge gap in Microsoft's Xbox lineup going into the holiday season. 

Redfall was also set to launch in "Summer 2022" from Arkane Studios, the developer behind Dishonored, Deathloop, and Prey. The game has been positioned as an open-world co-op shooter where you and three other friends can team up to hunt vampires with a variety of weapons and abilities. 

We were expecting both games to get significant airtime during the Xbox + Bethesda showcase. Bethesda has promised that "deep dives into the gameplay for both Redfall and Starfield" will be coming "soon" but hasn't provided any further information.

Will we see Starfield and Redfall at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase? Check out our E3 2022 Schedule for more information on the conference.

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Josh West
Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+'s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you've definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.