Starfield: Phil Spencer Claims Baldur’s Gate 3 Doesn’t Set Higher Expectations

Starfield was expected to be the biggest RPG of the year, but it has found unexpected competition in the form of Baldur’s Gate 3, which has recently become the second-biggest 2023 launch on Steam.

While the anticipation for Starfield continues to be high, fans have begun to question if the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 sets an even higher bar for Bethesda Game Studios to meet.

This was brought up during an interview with Phil Spencer, but the Head of Xbox did not seem concerned. He believes it does not set higher expectations for the upcoming first-party RPG.

Why it matters: Baldur’s Gate 3 has become the highest-rated PC game on several platforms, and it has also become the highest-rated game of 2023 on Metacritic.

When asked about Baldur’s Gate 3 and its influence on Starfield, Phil Spencer said:

“Great game, but I don’t think it has anything to do with Starfield.”

Following this statement, Phil Spencer congratulated Larian Studios on its success with the game and on achieving this massive milestone.

The Head of Xbox also revealed that he has been a massive fan of the IP, completing the first two Baldur’s Gate games. However, he does not think it makes much difference to Starfield.

While both games are based on the RPG genre, Starfield is a first-person shooter set in a vast galaxy of 1000 planets. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 brings the Dungeons & Dragons universe to life with turn-based combat.

This means both games offer a very different kind of experience and appeal to different players. Xbox is also confident about Starfield, offering reviewers several days with the RPG and releasing reviews nearly a week before the full launch.

Xbox believes Starfield will start a trend of high-quality first-party titles for Xbox, and Phil Spencer’s confidence in the game is exciting for fans looking forward to the ambitious RPG.

Starfield is also expected to be Bethesda Game Studios’ most polished release, with a reviewer finding no bugs in his initial hours with the game. Following several years of polish and the early impressions, it is easy to see why Phil Spencer is not too concerned about Baldur’s Gate 3 negatively impacting Starfield.