Bethesda has released a patch for Starfield, fixing a bizarre bug where a massive shark on one planet would become trapped in an elevator and then emerge onto a busy city street, causing chaos.
In an interview with Game Industry, Pete Hines, the head of global publishing at Bethesda, shared the story behind this glitch. He discussed the studio’s reputation for releasing games with bugs and explained that this is a result of their focus on player freedom and embracing chaos. Hines asked, “Do the bugs detract from your overall experience, or do they add to the fun and experimentation of the game?”
Hines went on to describe the shark elevator bug in detail, saying, “On Neon, a planet completely covered in water with a city built on top, we encountered a bug where a shark managed to get onto an elevator. When the elevator doors opened on a street level, the shark would slide out, causing panic and chaos. People would scream, guards would run, and I would fight the shark with weapons. I specifically told the team, ‘Do not remove this bug from the game!’ Although I’m almost certain they did, I loved that kind of unexpected excitement.”
While it’s unlikely that we’ll see sharks popping out of elevators in the future, Starfield will undoubtedly continue to have funny bugs and unexpected situations. The game is not completely bug-free, as players can still exploit glitches to gain infinite money or obtain an advanced space suit earlier than intended. Additionally, modding allows players to have Nicolas Cage’s face appear from their flashlight.
Starfield will be officially released on September 6 and will be available on Game Pass. Other games, such as Solar Ash and Lies of P, will also be joining Game Pass later in September.