Starfield start screen controversy explained: Bethesda dev responds

Starfield is set to be one of the year’s biggest games, but prior to release, the title’s start screen has been criticized by the community. Now, Bethesda’s Head of Publishing, Pete Hines, has responded to the Starfield main menu controversy.

As Bethesda’s first new IP for 25 years, it’s no surprise that Starfield is one of 2023’s most anticipated games. The sci-fi epic lets players loose in a vast universe, featuring over 1,000 planets and hours of story and side missions to complete.

With the long-awaited title due to arrive on September 1 in early access, the Starfield hype is starting to boil over as many players begin preloading the game ready for day one.

However, in the lead-up to Starfield’s launch, a number of players online have called out the RPG’s main menu, hinting that it could be a sign that the devs have rushed to release it.

Starfield fans call out the game’s start screen

The Starfield main menu debate was kicked off by Mark Kern, the former lead on World of Warcraft, who claimed that the simplicity of the screen could be an indicator of the overall quality of the game when it launches.

“The start screen of a game can reveal a lot about how rushed the team was and how much pride they took in their work,” Kern posted on X. “Starfield’s start screen either shows hasty shipping deadlines by a passionate team overworked, or a team that didn’t care.”

The physiognomy of start screens.

The start screen of a game can reveal a lot about how rushed the team was and how much pride they took in their work.

Starfield's start screen either shows hasty shipping deadlines by a passionate team overworked, or a team that didn't care. pic.twitter.com/Ok4gzQ3DVo

— Grummz (@Grummz) August 19, 2023

This led to comparisons with a number of other Bethesda games, such as Fallout or Skyrim, which also featured fairly simple home screens. Players argued that these titles launched in a “buggy” state, and feared it could mean the same for Starfield.

The debate prompted a response from Bethesda’s Head of Publishing, Pete Hines, who revealed that the main menu screen was designed early in development and disagreed that the sparse design had anything to do with the overall quality of the game.

“Or they designed what they wanted and that’s been our menu for years and was one of the first things we settled on,” said Hines’ reply. “Having an opinion is one thing. Questioning out a developer’s ‘care’ because you would have done it different is highly unprofessional coming from another ‘dev.'”

Or they designed what they wanted and that’s been our menu for years and was one of the first things we settled on.

Having an opinion is one thing. Questioning out a developer’s “care” because you would have done it different is highly unprofessional coming from another “dev”

— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) August 20, 2023

We’ll have to wait until Starfield early access begins on September 1 to know if the concerns about the game’s home screen are justified.

For more on Starfield, be sure to check out all of the different romance options in the RPG, as well as everything you need to know about base building.