Why are fans review-bombing ‘Starfield’ 9 months after its release?

‘Starfield’ encounters another review-bombing wave due to the introduction of paid mods.

Bethesda's Starfield is experiencing another wave of review bombing nine months after its launch.

During the June 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, Bethesda released a surprise update for Starfield, introducing significant improvements and new features. However, this update also introduced Creations, a new iteration of Bethesda's Creation Club that sells mods as microtransactions, which sparked controversy among players, IGN reports.

Fans have voiced their dissatisfaction with the pricing of Creations, particularly "The Vulture" quest, which costs $7 for a single quest. This led to a surge of negative reviews on Steam, resulting in "Mixed" overall ratings for both Recent Reviews and All Reviews. 

Despite the backlash, Bethesda is not expected to change its approach to Creations or their pricing, leaving the future of the game's reputation uncertain.

According to IGN, this is not the first instance of review bombing for Starfield. Shortly after its release, the game received numerous 0/10 and 1/10 scores on Metacritic, largely due to its exclusivity on Xbox consoles. Although there are rumors of a PS5 release, no official plans have been confirmed.

Bethesda might adjust the prices of Creations based on community feedback, but this is not guaranteed. Additionally, the Xbox Games Showcase announced a new Starfield expansion, Shattered Space DLC, set to launch later this year with a horror theme, which could potentially improve the game's public perception.