Bethesda accidentally teases Starfield fans by hinting at new gameplay reveal

A spaceship in Starfield docked on a rocky planet
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Bethesda has clarified that no new Starfield gameplay will be shown at Gamescom later this month, after accidentally exciting fans with the suggestion of a fresh reveal.

Some Starfield fans had suspected the much-anticipated RPG would receive a showing at Gamescom 2022, after its first in-depth trailer was revealed at Summer Game Fest earlier this year. 

A Bethesda blog post briefly fuelled those expectations, promising gameplay of the sci-fi RPG would be on tap for attendees. While the Starfield subreddit was quick to leap on the announcement, their celebration was a little premature. Bethesda has since updated the post to confirm that the Starfield gameplay shown at Gamescom won’t be anything we haven’t seen before.

“Come see a replay of the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase gameplay presentations for Redfall and Starfield,” the updated post reads. “Of course, we also have a few surprises and goodies in store for you.”

A long time to wait

A ship in Starfield landing on a planet

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

It could be a while yet before we have the chance to fix our eyeballs on any fresh Starfield content. Gamescom will be the final global gaming convention of the year, and neither Xbox nor Bethesda has announced any independent showcases for the final months of 2022. Opportunities for the release of new Starfield gameplay are fast diminishing as the end of the year approaches.

Bethesda fans are unlikely to be totally left out to dry. While new Starfield gameplay might be hard to come by, we expect more details and information about the game will be revealed during Gamescom. There are plenty of features to be fleshed out, including the RPG’s indie-inspired space combat, or how FTL travel functions in the game.

Just what “surprises and goodies” the publisher has in store is anyone’s guess, but they might offer a glimpse at Starfield’s wider world. So far, we only know of one of the game’s companions – VASCO, a bipedal robot – and we've picked up on some obscure clues that an old Elder Scrolls feature is returning.

Starfield is set to release in 2023, although a leak on Xbox Game Pass has narrowed its release window considerably

Callum Bains
Gaming News Writer

Callum is TechRadar Gaming’s News Writer. You’ll find him whipping up stories about all the latest happenings in the gaming world, as well as penning the odd feature and review. Before coming to TechRadar, he wrote freelance for various sites, including Clash, The Telegraph, and Gamesindustry.biz, and worked as a Staff Writer at Wargamer. Strategy games and RPGs are his bread and butter, but he’ll eat anything that spins a captivating narrative. He also loves tabletop games, and will happily chew your ear off about TTRPGs and board games.