Starfield Facts From Pete Hines From Gamescom

Phil Hines at gamescom
Credit: gamescom


Phil Hines at gamescom
Credit: gamescom

After Opening Night Live came and went with a disappointing lack of new Starfield information, did Starfield Facts with Pete Hines prove to be juicy? We go into the presentation from gamescom 2023 below, so sit back, relax, and read on to find out what was revealed.

Starfield is just around the corner; the wait that has felt like an eternity is almost over. September 6 is now only 13 days away for general release; Premium Edition owners get to dive in a bit earlier on September 1. Before all that, though, let's see what Pete Hines had to say at his Starfield Facts presentation.

Starfield Facts

Answering more Starfield questions, Pete Hines gave us some more confirmation on specific questions while tactically avoiding others. No significant spoilers came from the session, but some exciting tidbits cropped up; we will look at the session in a moment.

Todd howard at gamescom 2023
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Credit: Bethesda

Overall, it was disappointing coming out of gamescom, for Starfield fans are hungry for more info. Pete at least gave us some things to chew on before launch, unlike Todd Howard, who remained very closed on questions. However, one of Pete's responses did align with one part of Todd's recent GQ magazine interview.

It is understandable to want to keep as much of such a massive game under wraps as possible, but at this late stage, showing us a little more would have helped the launch. Even the event's name received a last-minute change to 'Starfield Known Facts' when it was previously billed as just 'Starfield Facts'. We will have Starfield in our own homes sooner than later, so let's see what was discussed.

Pete Hines

Pete Hines is Bethesda's head of global publishing; he has worked with Todd Howard's team for many years and helped launch Elder Scrolls and Fallout titles in various roles. Hearing that he was answering some questions about Starfield got many people wondering what would be revealed.

An explorer looks out at a ringed planet
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Credit: Bethesda

The conversation was more of a Q&A session than a full-blown presentation; we got to hear his answers to most questions. Coyly avoiding hot topics, but at least gave them a response. So, without further ado, here is a summary of what was discussed:

  • Grav drive can be used to escape ship combat.
  • The game doesn't get going till after the main quest
  • Upgrading piloting skills lets you fly better ships.
  • Vasco is your first companion.
  • Companions will think less of you when you make harmful choices.
  • Pete doesn't know if you can spacewalk
  • Ships can take off with you in the cargo hold.
  • New Game Plus is tied to the main quest.
  • Space will have random encounters.
  • Special Projects skill unlocks unique weapon crafting.
  • Pete doesn't know if you can fly between planets, but you can grav jump.
  • You can walk around your ship while flying in space.
  • Pete doesn't believe there is a level cap.
  • Groups of humanity could have created farms on minor planets.
  • You won't have a fleet of ships to fly together, one at a time.
  • The Vanguard museum exhibit explains what happened to Earth.
  • Skill point placement is essential and requires thought.
  • Space stations can be as large as cities.
  • You can target enemy ship engines to disable them, then board them.
  • Bounties from factions can be removed.
  • Boost pack skill needs to be unlocked to use the pack properly
  • The creation kit will arrive post-launch no date.
  • Modders can create entire planets.

That covers all the main points discussed during the sit-down with Pete Hines. We recommend getting yourself ready for launch in just one week. Why not use our Ultimate Prep List to make sure you are ready? If you are all set, you can try our beginner's guide for more tips and tricks when you start.

For all things Starfield, stick with us at Starfield Portal.

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