Starfield could launch in 2021 — and be an Xbox Series X exclusive

Starfield
(Image credit: Bethesda)

The Xbox Series X could get a killer exclusive game this year in the form of the highly-anticipated Starfield

At least that's what Xbox tipster and host of the Xbox Two podcast, Rand al Thor 19 claims he's heard from insider sources, and said: "Microsoft is trying its hardest to get the game out for this holiday."

"I've been told, by very reliable people, that Starfield [is] 100% an Xbox exclusive," the tipster said. "I'm really, really confident that Starfield is only releasing on Xbox when it does and I've been told as well that Microsoft is trying their hardest to get the game out for this holiday." 

And apparently developer Bethesda, which Microsoft acquired by purchasing ZeniMax Media, has pretty much finished making the game.

"The game's basically finished. It's in, like, bug-squashing mode right now, QA stuff very much like Halo Infinite," said Rand al Thor 19, who speculated: "It would be a big boon for Game Pass and Xbox if they could both launch Halo and Starfield this fall." 

This isn't the first time we've heard that Starfield could launch in 2021. But if Rand al Thor 19's tip is accurate, then we have further credence that Starfield could arrive this year and be an Xbox or Xbox Game Pass exclusive.

Furthermore, Bethesda reportedly filed a new copyright reservation for Starfield, which appears to be dated for 2021. However, we can't celebrate until we hear an official confirmation from the studio itself.

Stellar Xbox Series X exclusive on the horizon

bethesda

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Since Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media, there's been a lot of debating whether Bethesda's upcoming games will be Xbox/PC exclusives only. There's been no hard and fast confirmation that new Bethesda games will be Xbox and PC exclusives, but Xbox boss Phil Spencer has hinted heavily that some games will be kept for Xbox and Game Pass; not the best news for PS5 fans.  

Furthermore, Microsoft's VP Sarah Bond recently dropped a hint that Starfield will be a big exclusive for the Xbox ecosystem: "One of the things that has me most excited is seeing the roadmap with Bethesda’s future games coming to Xbox console and PC, including Starfield, the highly anticipated new space epic currently in development by Bethesda Game Studios."

Given the popularity of Bethesda games, having Starfield as an Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, as well as Windows 10 PC exclusive would give Microsoft a serious arrow in its gaming quiver.  

And Starfield could potentially be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to future Bethesda exclusives. There's a chance that The Elder Scrolls 6 could be an Xbox exclusive too, which would be one heck of a blow to the PS5 given the popularity of the Elder Scrolls games. 

However, time will tell on the exclusive game front, especially since Microsoft is keeping Deathloop, a game being developed by the Bethesda-owned Arkane Studios, as a timed PS5 exclusive. In short, 2021 could be an interesting year for the future landscape of games and platform exclusivity.  

Update: A new teaser trailer for Starfield suggest it'll be a cross of Skyrim meets The Expanse.

Denise Primbet
News Writer

Denise is a Life Reporter at Newsweek, covering everything lifestyle-related, including health, relationships, personal finance, beauty and more. She was formerly a news writer at Tom’s Guide, regularly producing stories on all things tech, gaming software/hardware, fitness, streaming, and more. Her published content ranges from short-form news articles to long-form pieces, including reviews, buying guides, how-tos, and features. When she's not playing horror games, she can be found exploring East London with her adorable puppy. She’s also a part-time piano enthusiast and regularly experiments in the kitchen. 

Read more
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle screenshot
The best Xbox Series X games in 2025 — our top picks
Nintendo Switch 2 promo image
Nintendo Switch 2 rumored to get at least 5 Xbox games — here's what we know
 A screenshot from the Fable 4 trailer showing a hero looking at a castle in the distance
Fable 4 — everything we know so far
PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Which console wins?
The era of console exclusives is slowly coming to an end — and I’m fine with that
Xbox handheld
Xbox handheld reportedly arriving this year, new PC-like console in 2027
Evil Shift Controller Xbox One
Microsoft may be designing a new Xbox controller with DualSense-like features — here's what we know
Latest in Xbox
Evil Shift Controller Xbox One
Microsoft may be designing a new Xbox controller with DualSense-like features — here's what we know
Playing Metaphor ReFantazio on the Xbox Series X Digital Edition
Got a new Xbox Series X? Here are 5 games you need to play first
Xbox Series X console with a Tom's Guide Black Friday deals tag
Xbox Black Friday deals — biggest savings on Series X, Series S and more
Xbox Game Pass logo above an Xbox controller
Microsoft will finally let you stream Xbox games you already own via Game Pass — here's what you can play right now
wd_black xbox expansion card deals
WD_Black’s 1TB Xbox Expansion Card just hit its lowest ever price — this is a killer Black Friday Xbox deal
seagate 2TB expansion card for xbox series x with a lowest price deal tag
Grab this 2TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series X — back at its lowest ever price
Latest in News
iPhone 17 Air render
New leaked iPhone 17 dummy units show off super-thin iPhone 17 Air with this surprising design tweak
Simone Ashley and Hero Fiennes Tiffin in "Picture This" now streaming on Prime Video
Prime Video top 10 has 3 must-watch movies — including a bubbly romcom starring 'Bridgerton's' Simone Ashley
(L-R) Josh Hartnett as Cooper and Ariel Donoghue as Riley in "Trap"
Netflix top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #379 (Monday, March 17 2025)
iOS 19 logo on an iPhone
Apple WWDC 2025: iOS 19 and everything we know so far
Siri
Siri 2.0 features reportedly only working ‘two-thirds to 80% of the time’