Kurt Kuhlmann, the former lead systems designer on Starfield who left Bethesda after its release, told FRVR he would be very surprised to see a sequel. He simply does not think the sci-fi RPG cleared the commercial bar Bethesda expects from its major titles. Estimated revenue around $300 million against a reported $200 million budget made it profitable, yet it sits far short of Skyrim's 65 million units or Fallout 4's 35 million, and player growth has slowed to roughly 2 million new players in the past 18 months, reaching about 17 million total.

Kuhlmann also noted that a follow-up could have addressed what he sees as structural shortcomings in the first game, such as outpost building systems added without proper narrative integration, echoing issues that plagued Fallout 4. He believes lessons from the original development might have produced something closer to director Todd Howard's full vision, but the numbers apparently did not justify the risk. Bethesda continues to support Starfield with free updates, DLC like Shattered Space and the upcoming Terran Armada expansion, and a July statement calling it an important part of the studio's future, yet Microsoft has signaled a sharper focus on its core Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises.

Community reaction on X and Reddit largely treats the comments as one insider's opinion rather than official cancellation, with some noting the game's new-IP status and Game Pass model make direct sales comparisons tricky. Others point to the slow post-launch momentum and middling DLC reception as evidence that Bethesda's caution is understandable. The predictable outcome is more years of live-service patches for the existing title while the studio pours resources into guaranteed hits.