Is Starfield multiplayer or co-op?

Is Starfield multiplayer or co-op? Bethesda Game Studios’ upcoming space exploration RPG has rightfully earned a lot of anticipation. But what can be better than experiencing a fresh and fascinating new world? Experiencing it with friends.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the potential for Starfield multiplayer or co-op. While you can adventure with plenty of Starfield companions and Starfield crew members, nothing can quite live up to real friends.

Is Starfield going to have multiplayer or co-op?

Starfield will not be multiplayer or co-op at launch. There are currently no plans from Bethesda for the game to have online functionality, or a local co-op mode. Starfield was confirmed as a single player experience at Starfield Direct in early June 2023.

Bethesda have waded into the world of online multiplayer games recently with the likes of The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76. In a 2020 interview, Todd Howard gave his thoughts on a Starfield multiplayer mode, stating that “the stuff we have coming – Starfield, Elder Scrolls VI – are singleplayer games, but I wouldn’t rule it out in the future.”

There’s two potential options in the future that could change see multiplayer come to Starfield, though keep in mind both of these are purely speculation at the moment. The first is that future DLC or updates to the game bring about multiplayer capacity for Starfield in some form. The second possibility is that modding communities do it themselves.

Starfield multiplayer in DLC or updates

While it still remains unlikely, it isn’t impossible that we could see Bethesda themselves implement multiplayer or co-op in some form in the future. The studio does have more recent experience with multiplayer content like Fallout 76, so it wouldn’t be something entirely new for them.

Multiplayer and online co-op could also prove a lucrative opportunity as part of a DLC. There would doubtless be plenty of players eager to show off their uniquely designed Starfield outposts, or painstakingly collected Starfield weapons to each other.

It is still fairly unlikely that we’ll see this become a reality. Bethesda prides itself on quality single player experiences, and the addition of online elements might be seen as a threat to the immersion of the game. It could also prove problematic for certain features of the game, like the main Starfield story.

Starfield multiplayer mods

This outcome still isn’t guaranteed, but it’s more likely than Bethesda implementing multiplayer. Modding communities tend to thrive on open-world sandbox games like this. On certain platforms, particularly PC, community-made mods are a quick and easy way to alter and enhance your experience while playing a game.

Although we still shouldn’t expect to see anything too soon after the Starfield release date, once places like the Steam Workshop presumably become available, there’s good reason to expect that someone out there is going to try and find a way to create a multiplayer mod for the game. We’ve seen this succeed before even in other Bethesda titles, like Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim. The one apparent downside is that this form of online play is unlikely to be very stable, and probably won’t support many players in one game.

That covers everything you need to know about Starfield multiplayer and co-op. While currently disappointing news, it doesn’t take away from all the things Starfield looks to be getting right. If you’re looking to learn more, check out our overview of the Starfield factions or our breakdown of some of the key systems and planets like Sol or Jemison.