Todd Howard must be anxious right now; his 'child' Starfield is about to be given away to the public to be judged and scrutinised. Bonding with the fans can make them feel like they are a part of the community, especially when you show appreciation. Todd has done just that by posting his thanks to the Starfield subreddit.
Working on any project can create an uneasy feeling as it gets close to public release, even for seasoned vets like Todd Howard. Bethesda has a certain pedigree to live up to, and fans highly regard their games. The studio has produced all-time greats like Oblivion, Skyrim and Fallout 3, so Starfield has much to live up to.
Todd Howard Thanks The Fans
The Starfield subreddit is a hive of eager fans counting the hours until Starfield launches. From wonderful community creations to wild and outlandish theories, the subreddit is a place to swing by to meet like-minded people.
One surprise came when Todd Howard posted a message to all Starfield fans. The heartfelt message shows his genuine appreciation for all the love that fans of Xbox-exclusive Starfield have shown his team and the game over the years since its announcement.
The post reads as follows:
From all of us here, THANK YOU
" Hey everyone! Long time lurker here. A quick THANK YOU for your passion and excitement for Starfield. I can remember when this sub started, and as it's grown, your excitement has fueled all of us at Bethesda. We like to say we have gaming’s smartest fans, and you certainly are. Starfield has been a labor of love for us and the fact that all of you care enough to build a community around it means the world to us. We can’t wait for you to play. "
The message came directly from Todd's Reddit account, u/ToddBethesda, which he previously used for Q&A sessions on other Bethesda titles such as Skyrim. It is nice to see such a genuine message from Todd at what can only be a nerve-wracking time for the developer.
Todd Howard Internal Memo Leak
Fans aren't the only ones who have been on the receiving end of Todd Howard's appreciative nature; an internal memo has been unearthed with a message for the team and studio.
Bringing a massive project like Starfield to fruition must be a considerable undertaking, especially when it is the first big release not to appear on PlayStation due to the purchase of ZeniMax (Bethesda's parent company) by Xbox.
Windows Central shared the memo intended for Bethesda, Microsoft and Xbox earlier; it reads:
I knocked on Robert Altman’s door. “Got a few minutes?”
“Sure.”
It was early 2013, we were developing Fallout 4, and Skyrim was still enjoying enormous success. I was there to pitch him on our next game. It would not be a sequel to our current games, (he looked concerned), but a grand space RPG and our first new IP in over 25 years (looks curious). It would delve into creation and the search for our place in the universe (slight twinkle). You would explore the galaxy in ways only video games can do. And it would be called - Starfield. (Smile)
“Sounds fantastic.”
Robert would be the very first to believe in us, no matter the situation. Our path to creating Starfield would be a long and winding one where we made other games along the way (Fallout 4, Skyrim SE, Fallout Shelter, Skyrim VR, Fallout 76, Skyrim again…). The core development from 2020 to 2023 saw enormous changes in our lives. A global pandemic, Robert’s passing, and becoming part of Xbox.
It’s incredible to be at the moment where Starfield is finally launching this week. It only exists because everyone else believed as well. We’ve been supported for decades by everyone at ZeniMax, all doing their best work yet. Special thanks to our publishing teams who aimed to create not just another release, but something that would capture the minds and inspire gamers everywhere. And to our partners in QA who had the difficult task of testing a game where anything can (and will) happen. And thanks to Jamie Leder and our Admin/HR teams who supported everyone during the most challenging years any of us have faced.
And of course, there is Phil Spencer. His support of every game and every player has been unwavering and fierce. Joining Xbox brought us closer to so many we had worked with for over 20 years. I cannot imagine a better place to create games, where the diversity of studios, creators, and games are allowed to flourish. This support came from the entire Xbox leadership team and all areas of publishing and dev support. Special thanks to the magicians at ATG whose spells and incantations helped make this our best performing game.
Most importantly, is the team I work with at Bethesda Game Studios. It’s an incredible blessing to be surrounded by so many talented and inspirational people every day. Moments like this make you reflect back. Some of us have been together for decades, some joined more recently, but everyone has the same passion. I could not be prouder of their continued dedication to create something truly special.
Lastly, a huge thanks to all of you within the Xbox and Bethesda family. Your enthusiasm and encouragement have meant the world to us. Creating this game has been one of the most challenging and thrilling experiences of our careers - a journey we'll never forget. And as we come to the end of this chapter, we pass it along to you. Each of you is receiving the game with Early Access, and can begin playing this Friday Sep 1st, but since it’s one global time you can actually play Thursday evening (Thanks New Zealand!).
We hope you get a chance to play, and that your journey is as rewarding as ours.
All our best,
Todd
What a lovely way to commemorate the launch of Starfield; Todd Howard is not only a legend of the gaming world but an absolute gentleman as well. Thanking a hard-working team can go a long way when years of work and love have been poured into the game.
So, we hope you are all ready for Starfield launching in less than a day (for early access); if not, try out our handy prep list for launch, and read our beginner's guide to get yourself set for the galactic adventures that await.
For all things Starfield, stick with us at Starfield Portal.