Starfield is getting closer with each passing day, and it’s set to be one of Bethesda’s biggest RPG game releases to date. From the expansive space setting open for exploration to the immersive character creation system, many of the features Bethesda has revealed so far look spectacular. Some players already have their hands on review copies of the game, which unfortunately means that leaks are circulating on social media. A specific image allegedly showing the game’s opening screen has been criticized by a former Blizzard developer, prompting Bethesda to respond.
Ahead of the Starfield release date, Mark Kern, a former Blizzard developer best known for his work on Diablo 2 and World of Warcraft, leaked an image of what appears to be the game’s main menu while criticizing its design. “The physiognomy of start screens,” Kern writes, “The start screen of a game can reveal a lot about how rushed the team was and how much pride they took in their work.”
He then addresses Starfield’s start screen in particular, saying that it “either shows hasty shipping deadlines by a passionate team overworked, or a team that didn’t care.” In a follow-up post, Kern criticizes the developers for being “too busy making the core game” as a reason for the lack of focus on a start screen, stating, “Teams that take pride want to put a good face forward and will often redo these just prior to the game going live.”
Kern’s criticism hasn’t gone unnoticed by Bethesda, though, as the upcoming RPG’s developer has issued a response. Pete Hines, the head of publishing at Bethesda, replied to the critical remarks saying “Or they designed what they wanted and that’s been our menu for years and was one of the first things we settled on.”
Hines continues, writing that having an opinion is “one thing,” while questioning another developer’s work because “you would have done it differently is highly unprofessional coming from another ‘dev.'”
If you haven’t done so yet, you should make sure that your PC is ready for take-off with this quick rundown of the Starfield system requirements. You can also prepare for the game’s release by looking through all of the known Starfield cities thus far.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.