‘Starfield’ gameplay preview could be released in summer 2022, Todd Howard confirms robot companions

"Starfield" will be released a year from now, and fans may have to wait until the summer of 2022 to witness the game's first gameplay preview. Meanwhile, Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard confirmed that the much-awaited space RPG would feature robot companions.

Howard conducted a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session earlier this week as part of the 10th anniversary of "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim." But fans also took this opportunity to gather more information about "Starfield."

With "The Elder Scrolls" franchise, Bethesda was known as one of the developers to deliver some of the best single-player RPGs set in an open world, and a fan wondered during the AMA session if the same can be expected on "Starfield." There seems to be a higher expectation toward the upcoming space RPG, especially since it will launch in the era of "next-generation" gaming.

"We prefer to just show it, which should be next summer," Howard replied. "We're happy with the advancements we've been able to make, some of which you can see in the trailer shot in-game."

Fans waited for more than two years before getting a proper "Starfield" trailer after its announcement in 2018. But considering that the game is not slated to launch until next year, it is not surprising that a more comprehensive look at its gameplay is still several months away.

Howard did not provide a more specific time frame for "Starfield" trailers, but "summer 2022" likely means during the next E3 show. This year was the first E3 showcase after Microsoft completed its acquisition of Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax. Xbox and Bethesda held a joint E3 showcase last June, where the new "Starfield" trailer was certainly one of the highlights. And next year's presentation could be equally jam-packed with major announcements as Bethesda gets closer to the "Starfield" launch on Nov. 11, 2022.

Meanwhile, another fan asked Howard if "Starfield" would feature a companion robot. To which Howard replied, "Yes, kind of." Modders will also be delighted to know that the game will have "full mod support" like other Bethesda titles, according to Howard. The video game developer also recognized that the modding community had been part of the studio's success over the last two decades. "We love what they do and hope to see more make a career out of it," Howard added.