Despite Microsoft's history of struggling to secure exclusive titles against PlayStation, Starfield's origin was quite different from its current status.
Microsoft's ongoing case with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) regarding their planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard has revealed some significant insights, and the initial cross-platform launch of Starfield is one of them.
An internal email exchange among Microsoft executives dating back to 2020, before the company's acquisition of ZeniMax Games (Bethesda's parent company), contained a list of anticipated titles from various studios and their targeted release dates.
Among these titles, with an initial release window set for 2021, was Starfield. It was listed for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows. However, a note accompanied this listing, stating that "no next-gen work done to date" had been completed.
For ZeniMax, the previous owners of Bethesda, setting a release date of November 2021 for Starfield was overly optimistic. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed its release further.
While plans for a PS5 release were seemingly in progress, PlayStation gamers may feel disappointed about missing out on the game. However, it's essential to remember that Xbox players have also missed out on numerous PlayStation exclusives.
These leaked documents also hinted at potential remakes of Fallout 3 and Oblivion, although it remains uncertain whether these remakes would also be exclusive to Microsoft platforms. Additionally, it appears highly likely that Elder Scrolls VI will not be available on PlayStation, although this isn't particularly surprising.
While these revelations may disappoint PlayStation gamers, they can look forward to the upcoming release of Spider-Man 2, which will remain exclusive to their platform, giving them something to anticipate.
Check out some of our other Starfield guides below:
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