Starfield's physical release might not include a disc

In another bad move for physical preservation, Bethesda's upcoming Starfield apparently won't have a physical release.

Earlier today, as spotted by Wario64, a Twitter user asked the official Bethesda Support Twitter account if "the physical standard edition of Starfield for Series X" includes a disc, with the support account responding, "Hello! All physical editions include a code for the chosen platform. There are no physical discs." The tweet from Bethesda Support has since been deleted. This practice of releasing a physical box that includes a code is relatively common for box releases of indie games, but so far hasn't happened much in the AAA space.

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Starfield is the latest, and quite easily the biggest game to confirm it won't be receiving a release on any kind of disc. Earlier this year Remedy announced Alan Wake 2 will be getting a digital only release, the reasoning apparently being to keep the cost of the game lower. And it also looks like Like a Dragon Gaiden will also be getting a digital only release, in the West at the very least. But it obviously can't be denied that Starfield is the most notable of all these titles. Aside from Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Bethesda's latest is easily going to be the biggest game of the year.

As noted by the tweet from Bethesda support, "all physical editions include a code," meaning that fancy $300 Constellation Edition will just include a code in a box too.

Considering the tweet has been deleted, it's entirely possible some form of miscommunication has occurred, though with the growing trends towards digital only releases, it unfortunately wouldn't be that surprising if this was the case. Best to keep an eye on the official Bethesda social media channels for further updates.

Starfield is due to release September 6, on Xbox Series X/S, and PC.