Starfield Shattered Space release date prediction – when can we expect Starfield DLC?

✓ At a glance

Starfield Shattered Space expansion

• Shattered Space does not have a confirmed release date yet
• We predict that it will launch at some point during mid-2024
• It will likely have some story focus and will add new mechanics, quests, locations and more

Even before the game first launched, we got confirmation that Starfield would be receiving DLC with Shattered Space expansion. It came with certain bundles of the game, and with it being so long since the title first dropped, players are looking forward to jumping back in when Shattered Space inevitably drops.

Starfield director Todd Howard promised ‘a lot’ of add-on content for the space-faring RPG after launch, with the Starfield Shattered Space DLC being the cream of the crop. Bethesda is known for solid expansions, like The Pitt for Fallout 3 and The Shivering Isles for The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion. We might get an epic journey bigger than those of previous games, like Fallout 4’s Far Harbor.

What is Shattered Space in Starfield?

Shattered Space is Starfield’s first post-launch story expansion. It will be a part of the Starfield Digital Premium Edition and the Constellation Edition. Players can also purchase it separately after buying the base game. Be aware that if you are planning on playing Starfield on Xbox Game Pass, the Shattered Space expansion will not be included in the base game, and you will need to buy the Premium Edition upgrade or higher to play it.

Starfield Shattered Space release date prediction

Previous Bethesda titles have had their first DLC release several months after the initial release of the game. This gives players the time to fully engage with the content of the base game before adding on the extra content from the new expansion. As such, we expect that Starfield’s Shattered Space expansion will release in mid 2024.​​​​

Why should players look forward to Shattered Space?

With the game’s exploration theme in mind, we wouldn’t be surprised if Shattered Space expanded Starfield’s ship customization options. It should run well on existing hardware. The sheer size of the game and Starfield’s 100+ star systems and 1000+ planets are magnificent. An expansion would add more to an already fulfilling experience. While some fans have suggested that the game needs more content, Shattered Space might be set in the star systems already in the base game.

We expect that Shattered Space will also focus on an expansion to the game’s story and the lore of the Settled Systems. Bethesda DLC typically contains some kind of major addition to the game’s story, complete with new characters, quests, locations, and new in-game items as rewards. We would be surprised if Shattered Space doesn’t feature any of that as the first major expansion.

One likely feature of future Starfield DLC is an expansion to the outpost and housing system in the game. Skyrim, Oblivion, and Fallout 4 all featured major DLC tailored at player homes or expansions of the in-game workshop, so this seems like an obvious place for Bethesda to get started in Starfield.

Not all Starfield DLC updates are planned to be of the same size. Bethesda’s plan might involve smaller additions like quests and weapons that might happen outside of expansions like Shattered Space. With over 250,000 lines of dialogue, Starfield has four times the dialogue of Skyrim and twice as much as Fallout 4. A season pass would make it an even more massive game in terms of storage.

What remains to be seen is how it links in with the fairly unique Starfield new game plus. We won’t spoil exactly how it works if you haven’t completed the game yet, but it certainly raises some questions about what shape the DLC will take.

How to get Starfield Shattered Space DLC

As previously mentioned, the Shattered Space DLC is included if you bought the Premium or Constellation Editions of Starfield, and can be bought on its own if you are a Game Pass subscriber. If you bought the game on Steam but did not get the Premium Edition, you can still buy a Premium Edition upgrade separately, too.

Unfortunately, if you bought a physical copy of the game, but did not get the Premium or Constellation Edition, you are currently unable to purchase the Shattered Space DLC. Instead, you will likely have to wait until much closer to the DLC’s release to purchase it.