Bethesda's sci-fi RPG has faced rightful criticism for its underbaked gameplay, but the release of Starfield mods was supposed to breathe new life into the game. However, the launch of expensive Starfield paid mods has soured the experience, showing Bethesda at its absolute worst.
Bethesda announced mod support alongside a new trailer for the Starfield Shattered Space DLC. Now available on PC and console, the extensive Creation Kit modding tools have been freely released for anyone to create whatever they want for the game.
Starfield paid mods are also available. Like Skyrim: Special Edition and Fallout 4, these paid mods are mini additions that cost extra. You can buy new outfits, weapons, quests, and ships, or avoid buying items altogether.
The launch of Starfield mods includes some egregious examples of Bethesda’s paid mods system. While paid mods can support individual modders, Bethesda is clearly taking fans for a ride.
Forget Oblivion’s controversial Horse Armor DLC, an example of predatory business in 2006. Starfield now offers a paid mod that adds plush decorations of the game’s Constellation Crew. Back in 2006, Horse Armor cost $2.50. Today, these plush decorations cost $3. Inflation much?
The cost of Starfield’s paid mods is just as disgraceful, if not worse, than those found in Skyrim or Fallout. One paid mod, created by Bethesda, slots into one of the new systems added in the game’s June update - Trackers Alliance: The Vulture.
For 700 Credits, or $7, this quest is added to the new bounty hunting faction and tasks you with hunting down one of the deadliest snipers in Freestar space. It’s a fun quest, but one that should have been included with the rest of the Trackers Alliance, especially considering how long fans have waited for improvements.
Another paid mod created by Bethesda is the Ancient Mariner Module, a new decoration module for your ships and outposts. It’s a fine-looking addition, one that would be cool to see added in an update, but Bethesda is charging 1,000 Credits, or $10, for it.
Players who bought Starfield’s Premium Edition have been gifted 1,000 Credits by the "generous" Bethesda. There are also 100 free credits for all users, which can be used to buy almost nothing. For players who’ve waited patiently for patches, fixes, promised new modes of travel, and the still-upcoming DLC, they’ve been given enough credits to buy a single module or a new quest and a set of virtual plushies.
Bethesda’s commitment to modding is phenomenal, and mods on consoles have allowed us to create amazing Halo RPGs in Fallout 4. The addition of paid mods by individual creators is absolutely fine, but paid mods by Bethesda themselves, especially when they’re as basic as they are, are downright insulting — especially for fans who bought Starfield at launch.