Starfield Tops PS5 Pre-Orders as Bethesda Bets Big on New Updates

It doesn't happen often that a game with a bad reputation goes straight to the top of the charts, but Starfield did. Several reports say that as of late March 2026, Bethesda's space RPG was the most pre-ordered PlayStation 5 game in the United States. Even more shocking is that the game has been heavily criticized in the past year. 

Something interesting is going on here. People are still going to it, even though some are unhappy with the pace, the exploring, and the first expansion. There's a chance that some of that is because they're used to Bethesda games, but it also suggests that people are still interested in Starfield. If anything, it's moving. People aren't just buying the game for what it was; they're also buying it for what it could become.

With the free "Freelanes" update and the paid "Terran Armada" DLC, that future is beginning to take shape. They want to fill in some of the game's biggest holes together, especially when it comes to important exploration and content that can be played again and again.

Instead of trying to change everything at once, Bethesda seems to be leaning toward a system that is more adaptable and can change over time.

A new group from the Colony War, a part of Starfield's history that has mostly been ignored until now, is added in the Terran Armada update. From what was said, this group is composed of soldiers who disappeared during that war and have returned as a highly advanced force that relies heavily on robots. Their coming isn't just a side story; it's seen as something that could change some parts of the settled systems.

That comes with a new friend named Delta, who is a reprogrammed unit from this group. For this story, it seems like there aren't really any good or bad guys. Instead, the lines are kind of fuzzy. That tone, which is ethically ambiguous and a bit unpredictable, could give Starfield the story edge it's been missing. It also seems to show that Bethesda is trying to explore its own world more deeply rather than just grow.

But there may be a big change that has nothing to do with the story. It's in the way the game is played at any given time. With the new "incursion" system, events can change over time and occur across multiple systems. These can range from small meetings to larger, more complex situations, and they're meant to be repeated. To put it simply, the galaxy has more things to do.

This is important because one of the main complaints about Starfield is that there is too much space between the carefully crafted scenes. Bethesda seems to know that it's not possible to add hundreds of completely new places after the game is released. Instead, it's adding processes that can keep making things happen—something to keep players interested even when they're just wandering.

A new level of power is also being added. Players will be able to change how often these meetings occur, a small but important change. It shows a move away from rigid design principles and toward letting players build their own experience. That level of freedom could really make a difference in a game that is all about exploring.

The DLC also adds prebuilt outposts, letting people settle on planets faster without going through the full building process. It's a useful addition for people who like making things but don't always want to start from scratch. Even though it's not a big deal, it's part of a larger attempt to make things easier.

When you look at all of these changes together, they don't feel like a big new start but more like a slow but steady course adjustment. Bethesda isn't taking down Starfield and starting over. Instead, it's adding to, changing, and adjusting what's already there to make it work better. It's still not clear if that's enough to change people's minds, but the goal is clear.

The road for another Bethesda project is coming to an end while Starfield looks ahead. The Elder Scrolls Blades will officially shut down its servers on June 30. This will be the end of the company's trial with a mobile RPG. Even though it wasn't a complete surprise, it's still the end of a story that never quite got going.

When Blades came out, people had high hopes for it. It featured one of Bethesda's most well-known names and was meant to bring that world to mobile in a fresh way. But it had a hard time getting players early on. Many negative opinions focused on how it relied too much on time gates and ads, which slowed progress unless players were willing to pay.

That method was very different from Bethesda's previous mobile hit, Fallout Shelter.

That game struck a good balance between free-to-play features and a sense of freedom, so players could enjoy it without always feeling they had to buy something. When you played Blades, on the other hand, it felt like you had to give something up every time.

Right now, as it gets ready to end, the game is changing how it plays. The statement says that in-game items will be available for very little money, which will remove many of the restrictions built into the game when it was first released. Once the end of a live-service game is in sight, the systems loosen up, and players can finally enjoy the experience more openly.

The shutdown also shows a bigger truth. For a lot of fans, mobile spin-offs could never take the place of waiting for a full Elder Scrolls reboot. While people wait for the next mainline game, projects like Blades often feel like filler rather than useful additions.

Still, not everything in The Elder Scrolls is slowing down. The Elder Scrolls Online is moving oppositely, making its approach bigger and better. Sources say the game is now moving toward a seasonal content plan, meaning updates will come at more regular, set times.

There are both old and new things in this new direction. The return of old groups like the Thieves Guild makes you miss old times, and the addition of new areas and stories keeps the world growing. It's something the game has done well over the years: giving long-time players something new without changing what made the game fun in the first place.

There is also a clear focus on improving people's lives. The plan includes making progression systems faster, respec choices easier to use, and more ways to customize the game. Even though these changes don't get a lot of attention, they often make the biggest difference in how a game plays every day.

Also coming soon is a new event zone set in an Oblivion world that will be used for player-versus-environment content. Along with that, a dungeon experience with more puzzles is being added. This will take the attention off pure combat and make the gameplay loop more interesting.

Making things easy to access is also a big part of the plan. As more subscription services and bundled versions with past expansions become available for the game, it's getting easier for new players to jump in without feeling overwhelmed.

It's a smart move for a game that has been around for a while but still wants to get bigger.

Blades and The Elder Scrolls Online are very different from each other. This shows where Bethesda is at the moment. This project had trouble connecting and is now coming to an end. On the other hand, another project is still changing and adapting to stay relevant in a crowded area.

It all makes sense when you look at it from a distance. While Starfield tries to find its groove, Blades steps away, and ESO keeps moving forward with little noise and a lot of consistency. Even though it's not a dramatic moment, it's an important one: a picture of a company making changes right now.

What comes next is the more important question. Will the updates to Starfield be enough to keep people interested for a long time? And can Bethesda keep that balance between trying new things and meeting expectations?