Starfield 2 is unlikely to happen because the original game reportedly failed to achieve the level of commercial success Bethesda would require for a sequel. Kurt Kuhlmann, a former Starfield systems designer, told FRVR that the game was “anywhere near successful enough” to justify a follow-up, despite Bethesda’s efforts to improve it after launch.

Kuhlmann said a sequel could have benefited from lessons learned during development, particularly by creating a more coherent experience. He argued that Starfield combined planetary exploration, storytelling, character interactions, ship customisation and base building without integrating them deeply, with base building also posing similar challenges in Fallout 4. The article additionally criticises Bethesda’s tendency to pursue an all-encompassing game design in which separate activities and player choices have limited impact on one another.