Starfield and Redfall Delayed to 2023

Bethesda has announced that Starfield and Redfall have been delayed to "the first half of 2023".

Announced by Bethesda on Twitter (below), no specific reasons were given for the delays, other than to say that the teams "want to ensure that you receive the best, most polished versions of them."

The statement also promises that the first gameplay deep dives for both games will be released "soon" – and you can imagine that would come during the Xbox/Bethesda Summer Showcase on June 12.

An update on Redfall and Starfield. pic.twitter.com/pqDtx26Uu6

— Bethesda (@bethesda) May 12, 2022

A follow-up from Starfield's Bethesda Game Studios simply says, "We can't wait for you to play Starfield, but we need some more time. We’re so thankful for all the support and encouragement and are excited to show you the game soon."

Arkane followed up the tweet with a message from Redfall's director, Harvey Smith. "Here at Arkane Austin, we've decided to delay the launch of Redfall," Smith explained. "The team needs more time to bring the game to life. Thank you so much for your continued support. Redfall is our most ambitious game yet, and we can’t wait to show it off soon."

Starfield previously had a release date of November 11 (an important date for Bethesda, given Skyrim was released on the same date in 2011). The Xbox console exclusive has been showing off a number of details recently, from the game's companions, to its factions, to its music – but we've never seen official gameplay.

Redfall has been ever quieter. Announced as Xbox's show closer during E3 last year, the new game from Arkane Austin was introduced as an open world co-op FPS, due for release this Summer. However, since that reveal we've seen nothing of the game, aside from some leaked images.

The lack of gameplay for both games had been seen by some as simply holding back for a major drop during the Summer, but it seems the reality is that both games simply aren't ready for release just yet. They join a long list of games delayed in 2022.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.