‘Starfield’ design director Emil Pagliarulo has insisted Bethesda is focused on addressing community concerns after he called the title “the best game we’ve ever made”.
Starfield design director Emil Pagliarulo has insisted Bethesda is focused on addressing community concerns after he called the title 'the best game we've ever made'
The sci-fi RPG has been the subject of criticism since its rocky 2023 launch - and then again recently after the ‘Shattered Space’ DLC disappointed some fans - and now the lead developer has emphasised the studio is listening to players’ feedback in order to improve the title.
On X, Pagliarulo wrote: “Maybe it's a game of expectations. Fans want a lot, and we do all we can to accommodate them. Here's what I can tell you - nobody, and I mean nobody, at Bethesda is patting themselves on the back while ignoring our players.”
The developer faced backlash after he said ‘Starfield’ was one of Bethesda’s most ambitious projects to date during a recent interview with GamesRadar+, as many complained the title was full of glitches and had underwhelming gameplay when it released last year.
While Pagliarulo acknowledged his “optimism is in no way meant to be mud in the eye of any dissatisfied fan”, the design lead emphasised he was still “very proud” of the ‘Shattered Space’ expansion.
He penned: “I'm also very proud of ‘Shattered Space’. We all are.
“Most of the quests and levels were done by designers who have worked on previous Bethesda games and DLCs, going all the way back to [2002’s ‘The Elder Scrolls III’] ’Morrowind’. They're good at what they do, and it shows.”
The developer added Bethesda has “spent a lot of time this year addressing community concerns and making fixes”, and promised the studio would “continue to do so”.
He concluded: “[We] will be listening to our fans every step of the way. We make these games for all of you.”