Todd Howard said Starfield was a much harder RPG pre-release, and this early Starmap reportedly found in the game files makes that even clearer

Jan. 10, 2024

An old version of Starfield’s Starmap seemingly hints at cut features and hazards

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On the heels of Starfield’s launch, Bethesda boss Todd Howard explained that exploring space and dealing with planetary hazards used to be a lot more dangerousbefore the team “nerfed the hell out of it.“AStarfieldsleuth now claims to have uncovered an old version of the RPG’s Starmap, and it seems to have shed some light on the more punishing game that might’ve been.

First shared by Reddit user Redsaltyborger, this dated version of the Starmap – which is technically unofficial and could be an elaborate hoax, though that looks unlikely right now – closely resembles the final map at first blush, but it also contains a few significant features apparently left on the cutting room floor at some point.

The standout to me (and GamesRadar+’s resident Starfield-heads) is the list of hazards on the far right – in this case, “solar radiation” which can cause “light hull damage,” and “micrometeoroids” which “can cause catastrophic stop.” These hazards are notably listed below a fuel consumption meter, seemingly outlining the added risks imposed on Starfield players back when you risked running out of fuel mid-excursion.

Just to the left of this Starmap’s hazards tab is what looks like route or map filters for “systems,” “planets,” or “economy.” How these may have functioned is anyone’s guess, but the “economy” option in particular raises the possibility of a more involved trading or networking system.

It’s unclear when and how these features were cut, nor do we know how far along they were before seemingly getting axed. Theresponseto these breadcrumbs has been mixed, with some Starfield players hungry for a more dangerous, hardcore survival experience, and others actually preferring the look and functionality of the final map we ended up with. Speculating optimistically, perhaps polished versions of some of these ideas will be folded back into the game in some way through future updates, as Howard previously suggested regarding ship fuel.

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