The internet is rife with Starfield gameplay leaks, and this time, new footage has revealed that planets aren’t fully explorable, and players will encounter boundaries.
While some fans may not be particularly bothered by the inclusion of planet boundaries, others may see it as a flaw in Bethesda’s latest RPG.
Below, you’ll find a full explanation of planet boundaries in Starfield, including what was seen in the gameplay leak and how they work.
Starfield Planet Boundaries Explained
A new Starfield gameplay leak has revealed that planets in Starfield have boundaries, also known as invisible walls.
The video showcases the player running in one direction across a desert on the planet Earth for just over 10 minutes.
At the 9-minute and 51-second mark, the player encounters a warning message that reads, “Boundary Reached. Open the map to explore another region, or return to your ship.”
The player then closes the pop-up and tries to continue but keeps hitting the invisible wall and getting the same message.
The original video has been removed from YouTube. However, you can see the full clip in the X, formerly Twitter, post below:
According to Redditor CoheedMe, who has allegedly been playing Starfield early, each planet is split into “Tiles,” which seem to be “tethered” to your ship.
They claim that Starfield simply generates a random “patch of ground,” which is surrounded by invisible walls preventing you from going too far.
Additionally, these “Tiles” don’t take into account where on the planet you landed. For example, you could land right by New Atlantis but won’t be able to see it in the distance.
Todd Howard has somewhat confirmed this in an IGN interview. During that interview, he described how each planet is made up of several “kilometer-sized tiles” that get “wrapped around the planet.”
However, it has been previously alluded to that players could explore the entire planet, with boundaries and invisible walls never being mentioned.
For example, Pete Hines, the Head of Publishing for Bethesda, responded to a fan asking if planets were completely explorable with “Yup, if you want. Walk on, brave explorer.”
It remains to be seen whether or not this boundary feature will be removed for launch or if players will be stuck within these closed-off zones.
