News that Redfall and Starfield are being delayed into 2023 made waves this morning, not the least because they were expected to be major tentpole releases for Xbox this holiday season. Since then Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has taken to Twitter to respond, acknowledging fan disappointment while also saying that “delivering quality and consistently is expected” and that Xbox “hears the feedback.”
Spencer’s tweet reads, “These decisions are hard on teams making the games and our fans. While I fully support giving teams time to release these great games when they are ready, we hear the feedback. Delivering quality and consistency is expected, we will continue to work to better meet those expectations.”
These decisions are hard on teams making the games & our fans. While I fully support giving teams time to release these great games when they are ready, we hear the feedback. Delivering quality & consistency is expected, we will continue to work to better meet those expectations. https://t.co/mIfXGd3rui
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 12, 2022
Starfield was originally slated for November 2022, where it was expected to be one of the biggest Xbox games of the year. Both it and Redfall join other high-profile exclusives like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 in being pushed into next year.
The initial delay announcement also says we’ll get to see the “first deep dive into the gameplay for both Redfall and Starfield soon,” potentially pointing to the Xbox/Bethesda Summer Showcase on June 12.
When they are finally shown, it will be the first major look that fans get of either game. So far there’s been no gameplay released for either, though Bethesda has afforded a number of glimpses at Starfield — from the game’s robot companion to the various facitons in the game.
So far, no official dates have been given for Starfield or Redfall, but the current projected time frame for both is the first half of 2023.
Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.
