Long-time Xbox poster boy Master Chief may be feeling left out in the cold as Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield appears front and center in new photos of a Chinese Xbox Series X box. While Halo’s spacefaring Spartan has made prominent appearances on Xbox hardware boxes for over 20 years at this point, the lukewarm reception to 343 Industries’ Halo Infinite may be the reason Microsoft has decided to place him on the back burner in favor of Bethesda’s eagerly anticipated “Skyrim in space.”
Beginning development as the company was winding down work on 2015’s Fallout 4, Bethesda Game Studios’ upcoming sci-fi RPG Starfield represents the company’s most highly anticipated release since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The first high-profile launch from the industry heavyweight following the acquisition of Bethesda Softworks by Microsoft in 2021, Starfield will be exclusive to Xbox Series X/S consoles and PC when it releases later this year. Microsoft is surely hoping that the sci-fi title can follow in the footsteps of Skyrim’s massive success and help draw gamers into the Xbox ecosystem.
Showing just how much is riding on the success of Starfield, Reddit user iplaykazoo shared a photo of a Chinese Xbox Series X box with an advertisement for the title prominently emblazoned on the back. Posted on the r/XboxSeriesX subreddit, the picture shows artwork for Bethesda’s open-world RPG taking up the entirety of the back of the box alongside the tagline “Power Your Dreams.” While it isn’t uncommon for Xbox packaging to prominently feature specific titles when released as part of a bundle, it’s rare for Microsoft to highlight only one title for standard editions of the console.
Gamers looking forward to Bethesda’s latest massive RPG expressed excitement at the photo, with some fans speculating that the game could be released sooner than expected despite recent rumors that Starfield has been delayed yet again. Making light of the game’s protracted development cycle, one comment joked that the game’s prominent spot on the box meant that Starfield would arrive on the Xbox Series X “at some point between today and when the events of Starfield take place.” Seemingly wary after a series of uneven releases from the developer in recent years, other commenters stated that they simply hoped Bethesda’s Starfield would be worth the wait.
With recent rumors stating that Starfield playtesters are loving the game after getting hands-on time with the title, it sounds like players may be in for something special when the game releases later this year. After spending over $7 billion to acquire Bethesda Softworks there’s no doubt that Microsoft is hoping for a successful release to justify its investment, and the prominent placement of this ad shows that the company is willing to do everything it can to keep Starfield in the minds of players.
Starfield releases in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.