Why Starfield Getting the MMO Treatment Would Make More Sense than Fallout

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 15, 2025 41 Views 7 Min Read
Why Starfield Getting the MMO Treatment Would Make More Sense than Fallout



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Starfield has proven to be one of Bethesda’s most contentious game releases. Something like Fallout 76 may have been more poorly received overall, and certainly had more problems, but Starfield stands out because of the diversity of opinions surrounding it: some players think it is one of the best RPGs ever and a fantastic space adventure, while others criticize it for being outdated and underwhelming. Whatever one’s opinions are on this new Bethesda IP, it will certainly be interesting to see how the fabled company develops it in the future.

And further development certainly seems likely, if Bethesda Game Studios plans to treat Starfield like its other major IP. Both Fallout and The Elder Scrolls have gotten MMO spin-offs, with the latter being developed by ZeniMax Online rather than Bethesda Game Studios, and is generally much better received than the adaptation of the former. Indeed, as previously noted, Fallout 76 did not land to rapturous applause, and even though it has greatly improved over the years, it is still a tough sell for many gamers. One may then view Fallout 76 as something of a cautionary tale for Starfield‘s future spin-offs, but there’s reason to believe that taking the MMO route would turn out far better for the sprawling space adventure.

Fallout 5 Should Lean into One Element Starfield Largely Avoided

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Fallout 5 Should Lean into One Element Starfield Largely Avoided

The direction of Fallout 5 is unclear, but the next entry has the perfect opportunity to make up for one confusing Starfield choice.

A Starfield MMO Could Succeed Where Fallout 76 Failed

One of Fallout 76’s Biggest Problems Doesn’t Apply to Starfield

Make no mistake, Fallout 76 was riddled with bugs, performance issues, and questionable design choices at launch, but for many, its biggest problem was a fundamental one. The Fallout franchise, as its name suggests, is set in a desolate wasteland, a vision of an America that has fallen victim to devastating nuclear folly. Here are some things that the world of Fallout is not:

  • A densely populated sandbox
  • A social hub
  • A busy, bustling frontier teeming with human life

One could argue that the above qualities, which are so central to the traditional MMO formula, run completely contrary to the narrative and tonal basics of the Fallout franchise. This is something that long-time fans of the series picked up on as soon as Fallout 76 was announced, which led to widespread apprehension long before its full release. Even now, with years of tweaking, polishing, and substantial content updates, this fundamental incongruence remains. But such an issue could be easily avoided in a “Starfield 76,” as it were.

Starfield Has the Perfect Premise for an MMO Adaptation

Humanity’s rampant colonization of the galaxy is a much better backdrop for a massive online multiplayer game than a nuclear apocalypse. There’s form and structure to society in Starfield, which would allow for a more robust interactive world, with various different organizations, settlements, and factions, not unlike a game like World of Warcraft. It would make sense to run into other players going about their business, as there is far more business to be had.

Conversely, the MMO treatment could actually sharpen some of Starfield‘s duller points, like its overabundance of empty, lifeless planets. A version of the game, with the same scope, could use emptiness to its advantage, as players could colonize the spaces themselves. Then, other players could visit or even attack their bases. In other words, the MMO framework could allow Starfield‘s barren expanses to have more value.

Of course, this is all just speculation, as it’s hard to say what Bethesda’s plans are for the Starfield IP. It was certainly not the universally-beloved hit that the company was hoping for, but it has a lot of potential, and BGS will no doubt wish to make the most of the foundation that it has laid. If it follows the trend of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout and gets spun-off as an MMO, it might just be the best of the bunch.

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