Starfield DLC roadmap

Now that Starfield has been out for quite some time, many players are wondering what Starfield DLC is on the way, when it will be released, and what it might contain. The first DLC is now expected to launch as early as September 2024 following a video interview between Todd Howard and Kinda Funny Games.

Bethesda confirmed that the first expansion for Starfield will be the Starfield Shattered Space story expansion, but have yet to officially state what the DLC contains. So, we’ve pulled together all the available information on what the first expansion is likely to include.

We’ve also looked back on 18 years of Bethesda games and DLC releases to model what Starfield’s DLC roadmap is going to look like, using examples from Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Skyrim, and more.

First Starfield DLC – Starfield Shattered Space story expansion

The first Starfield expansion is the Starfield Shattered Space DLC, and is set to expand upon the game’s story, as well as introduce “new locations, new gear, and much more.”

Judging from the DLC’s name, the first story expansion will focus on the metaphorical or literal shattering of the universe, as has already been hinted at by several pre-existing storylines in Starfield. Two immediate themes come to mind: the shattering of space itself caused by the player’s actions in travelling to parallel worlds, or the shattering of the peace via the re-emergence of the House Va’ruun.

There are already hints that the Grav Drive (the main form of travel used by players and NPCs to explore the Settled Systems) once “shattered space” when they inadvertently destroyed Earth. This destruction can be attributed to Victor Aiza, who met their Starborn counterpart from an alternate dimension and created the Grav Drive despite knowing it would destroy the Earth.

As it is already possible for you to meet your alternate self at the Unity, it’s possible that a similar event will happen in Shattered Space whereupon another version of you calls for help in repairing the shattered multiverse.

Alternatively, the first DLC could take a Fallout 3 Operation Anchorage approach and allow us to see the Earth’s destruction for ourselves, and in so doing flesh out the world’s lore.

As the first story expansion for Starfield, it is highly likely that the first of Starfield’s DLC will expand upon end-game content, or flesh out some of the underdeveloped story elements currently present in Starfield. If the DLC is end-game content, then, much like Fallout 3’s Broken Steel expansion, you will likely need to reach the Starfield ending in order to access the DLC.

Of course, there are many other areas of the world that could be further explored by the first DLC. House Va’ruun, one of the major Starfield factions, barely appears in the base game, and so could well see an appearance in the first DLC. For all the latest theories, check out our Starfield Shattered Space page.

The Starfield Shattered Space release date has been set for Fall 2024.

It was anticipated that the first DLC would be released by May 2024 given Bethesda’s historical patterns for DLC releases. However, perhaps because of a slew of Starfield bugs and the game’s declining player count, it is possible that the DLC was delayed to afford Bethesda more time to release additional Starfield updates.

Luckily, those who secured a premium Starfield pre order don’t have to worry about purchasing the first DLC expansion, as they are automatically entitled to it when it does launch.

Second Starfield DLC

Once the first DLC is out of the way, Bethesda will likely return to a familiar release schedule similar to the ones they have employed over the last 18 years. It is highly likely that Starfield will receive at least four to five major updates and expansions over the next two years.

Should Starfield observe a similar DLC release schedule as previous Bethesda properties, the second Starfield DLC could arrive just two months after the first DLC. 

The second DLC pack is likely to be a smaller content update than Shattered Space, mirroring a trend seen with Fallout 4 which received a small expansion to settlement building (very similar to Starfield’s outpost building) after the first story expansion. Given that Starfield outpost building on the whole feels underutilized, it’s quite likely that the second Starfield DLC pack, or a subsequent DLC release, will expand upon this mechanic.

Currently, there isn’t even a quest to help you set up your first outpost, or teach you the basics of resource gathering, outpost research, and module construction (unless you count the scant few basic tooltips). 

If the DLC doesn’t tackle outposts, there are plenty of areas in Starfield that could easily be expanded upon with a DLC release. Redditors have long been crying out for a number of features, from Starfield mechs – which a modder managed to bring to life as a fully-fledged boss monster – to expansions on the House Va’ruun faction, and more. 

Starfield cosmetic DLC

In the past, Bethesda has released mini-DLC packs typically cheaper than larger expansions. These “cosmetic” DLCs have added skins, decals, and higher resolution texture packs in a variety of flavors.

At present, Starfield lacks a lot of cosmetics in-game. Though you can heavily customize your ship, you can’t repaint your Starfield armor, guns, or melee weapons. A limited number of skins exist, and were by and large exclusive to the Starfield Constellation Edition (the collector’s edition of the game) and premium pre orders. These skins included an orange wrap for the Cutter tool, and a repaint of the Constellation armor set.

Several legendary weapons do possess a unique design, but overall there is very little variety to choose from in-game. With so few customization options present in the base game, we predict that Bethesda may well flesh out this sparse selection of skins by releasing premium weapon, armor, ship, and even outpost skins.

No announcements or leaks have indicated Bethesda is considering this approach, but you can see the developer taking this approach in the past with Fallout 76’s Atom Shop, and Oblivion’s infamous Horse Armor packs.

Many mods already provide a number of cosmetic choices, so hopefully Bethesda will consider making a few of them official, or design a few of their own in-house.

Starfield DLC roadmap

Bethesda announced a rough roadmap for Starfield updates on December 20, 2023. Numerous small features were slated to be added to the game alongside the first story expansion DLC at a regular pace of “roughly every six weeks.” Bethesda did not provide any specific timelines for exact features on their roadmap, nor state what order the content would arrive in.

However, looking at historically Bethesda DLC release schedules, it is highly likely that the Starfield roadmap will look something like this (assuming Shattered Space does release at the end of April 2024):

• June/July 2024 – Creation Club support
• September/October 2024 – Starfield story expansion – Shattered Space
• December 2024 – second story expansion pack
• February 2025 – first cosmetic DLC
• March 2025 – third story expansion pack

Our timeline is speculative in nature, and Bethesda’s commitment to releasing high quality updates could well delay the release of several DLC packages. As such, we will be back to update our roadmap whenever an announcement is made.

Starfield season pass

At present, Starfield does not have a season pass granting players access to all future DLC. Bethesda did once imply that Starfield would get a season pass, but only if the value of all DLC exceeded $40. While a season pass for Starfield is not currently available, it is worth noting that Fallout 4 did not receive a season pass until March 2016, five months after the game’s initial release. Starfield has been out much longer than that, but it could well still get a season pass in the near future once the first DLC is released.