Starfield Hits 15 Million Players as Patch Adds Achievement-Friendly Creations, New Land Vehicle and Quest, and More

[Wesley Yin-Poole]

Bethesda’s Starfield has seen 15 million players since launching in September 2023.


Starfield hit six million players on its day of release to become the biggest launch in Bethesda Game Studios history, surpassing the likes of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Fallout 4. Those player numbers were boosted, of course, by Starfield’s day one launch into Game Pass.

"We're thrilled that so many of you have embarked on this journey with us, and we appreciate your feedback,” Bethesda said in a post on its website. “We are always looking for ways to improve your experience playing the game.”

To that end, Bethesda has released a new update that makes a number of important changes and additions. Creations by Verified Creators now have the option to be achievement friendly, there are two new free creations (a vehicle and a quest), and there are new quality-of-life improvements, such as an uncapped framerate option for Xbox Series X. However, Achievements will not retroactively unlock on previous game saves with Creations, even if those Creations are now achievement friendly.

Update 1.14.74 adds the newest land vehicle, the Deimog, as a “special gift” to all players for hitting the 15 million landmark, Bethesda said. Here’s the official blurb:

Built for speed and endurance, the Deimog features a fully enclosed cabin to keep you protected as you race through rugged landscapes. Its exceptional handling allows you to navigate even the trickiest terrain with ease, while a powerful rocket launcher ensures you’re prepared for any threats — be it hostile wildlife or clusters of enemies.

And the new quest is called The Perfect Recipe, made available to players for free “in the spirit of Thanksgiving.”

The Perfect Recipe invites you on a heartwarming journey through Akila City, where the past and present collide in the hands of an unlikely dreamer. This character-driven questline introduces you to Harbhajan, a gifted mechanic with a hidden passion for the culinary arts. When you stumble upon a dusty recipe book during your travels, you learn it belongs to Harbhajan — a once-hopeful chef whose ambitions were set aside for a more practical life. Returning the recipes ignites a spark, rekindling old dreams of becoming a galaxy-renowned chef. But could it be too late for a second chance?

Bethesda released the first Starfield expansion, Shattered Space, at the end of September. It was billed as a return to form for the studio, but Shattered Space is currently on a 'mostly negative' user review rating in Steam. According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, Bethesda development chief Todd Howard wondered whether Starfield should have delayed buggies for Shattered Space so it had a bigger impact.

Starfield Update 1.14.74 patch notes:​

General

• General performance and stability improvements.
• The uncapped frame rate option is available again for Xbox Series X users.
• The Message of the Day now displays more consistently on the Xbox.
• Addressed an issue where some console commands did not disable certain achievements.
• Shattered Space will now show ownership correctly for Steam users.

Features

• Creation Kit: Lipsync animation data generation is now available.

Gameplay

• The Annihilator Particle Beam damage-over-time effect no longer triggers companion reactions.
• Resolved a Leadership skill issue that could cause companions to not speak up.
• Improved function of the stealth bar while around crowd NPCs.
• Addressed an issue where destroyed ships could load in without collision.
• Addressed an issue where loading a save the relied on missing content could place the player in an undesirable location.
• Trackers Alliance - Roach will now accurately track the number of completed bounties.
• Trackers Alliance - Bounty targets will now appear in Akila, Gagarin, and Cydonia.
• Trackers Alliance - Fixed an issue where the player could receive additional credits by extorting the target and then killing them.
• Trackers Alliance - Bounty targets should now have a larger variety of appearances.
• Trackers Alliance - Bounty targets will now be removed after being dealt with and leaving the area.
• Trackers Alliance - Extorting or bribing a bounty target is no longer a guaranteed success.

Quests

• The Starjacker - The correct quest objective will display when the player boards the Junker Watchdog.
• Legacy of the Fang - Addressed an issue that could cause the key to no longer open the door if the player had left the area.
• The Duel - If the player attacks Danika and gets arrested, they are now able to speak to her afterwards to complete the quest.
• The Scaled Citadel - Anasko’s ID Key is now flagged as a quest item.
• What Remains - Addressed an issue where having certain creations installed could make the hatch on The Oracle non-interactable.
• What Remains - The Engineering Bay Access Card is now flagged as a quest item.
• A House Divided - The doors in the Radiology center will stay unlocked during this quest if the player exits the area and returns.
• A House Divided - The player can now obtain the keycard from Madri after the quest is completed.
• Zealous Overreach - Fixed an issue that could occur if the Va’ruun Zealots at the exterior of Shadow Station Epsilon were killed before receiving the quest.
• Zealous Overreach - Addressed an issue that could prevent the player from speaking to Razma or Viktor if the quest “Conflict in Conviction” is started at the same time.
• Zealous Overreach - Vortex Phantoms will no longer spawn close enough to interrupt the negotiation scene.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].