Bethesda lead addresses Starfield Shattered Space criticism: “Nobody, and I mean nobody, at Bethesda is patting themselves on the back while ignoring our players”

Bethesda Game Studios studio design director Emil Pagliarulo has commented on some of the negative feedback to Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC.

Starfield’s first story expansion launched last week to 42% positive “mixed” reviews on Steam, and it’s since dropped to just 30% positive reviews, earning it a “mostly negative” rating at the time of writing. Our own Starfield Shattered Space review awarded the expansion 3/5 stars and praised “some memorable side quests” while noting an at-times “lackluster” main questline and lack of follow-through on promised horror elements.

Pagliarulo posted a lengthy Twitter thread in direct response to a fan who perceived his recent comments in an interview with GamesRadar+ as a “pat on the back” that “may not be warranted.”

“Optimism and excitement are pretty standard for interviews,” Pagliarulo said. “And I’m generally pretty optimistic and excitable (about games) by nature. That said, my optimism is in no way meant to be mud in the eye of any dissatisfied fan. That’s not how it works.”

Pagliarulo affirmed that he’s “very proud” of the expansion and that “most of the quests and levels” were developed by BGS veterans “going all the way back to Morrowind.” (Morrowind was a major inspiration for the DLC’s main planet and city, too.) The dev said Starfield fans who haven’t played the DLC are “missing out,” and that those who have played it and are disappointed make him “sad,” pointing out that the studio has “also been hearing from plenty of people who love it.”

The developer then lands on a conciliatory note: “Maybe it’s a game of expectations,” he said. “Fans want a lot, and we do all we can to accommodate them. Here’s what I can tell you – nobody, and I mean nobody, at Bethesda is patting themselves on the back while ignoring our players.”

Pagliarulo has been at the forefront of Bethesda’s PR campaign in the wake of Shattered Space’s lukewarm reception, telling us in a recent interview that, “It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but what is?” Separately, he boasted that Shattered Space lets players “explore like they used to in Fallout and Skryim”, which happens to be the interview that prompted this discussion.

More generally, he recently said Starfield is “in a lot of ways” the “hardest thing Bethesda has ever done” and also “the best game we’ve ever made”.