{"id":979718,"date":"2023-08-30T18:55:08","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T22:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/twinfinite.net\/?p=979718"},"modified":"2023-08-30T18:55:14","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T22:55:14","slug":"starfields-boundary-reached-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twinfinite.net\/guides\/starfields-boundary-reached-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Starfield’s Boundary Reached, Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Players around the world are more than ready to dive into the interstellar universe of Bethesda’s Starfield. As the official release gets ever closer, many of the info leaks that have found their way to the masses have simply been even more positive reinforcement and hype for the game. However, one particular leak that has since been monikered online as “boundary reached” is creating confusion and even concern among the tentative player base, as it’s alluding to a seemingly intentional misconception of just how “open world” Starfield will actually be. To get a clearer picture, here is our explanation for Starfield’s “boundary reached” controversy<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Did the Starfield ‘Boundary Reached’ Leak Originate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Starfield
Image Source: Bethesda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Expectations have seldom been higher for another game in recent memory than Bethesda’s massive<\/a> sci-fi RPG Starfield, which even briefly overtook Baldur’s Gate 3<\/a> in Steam sales. It’s already breaking and surpassing several technical boundaries encountered by other incredible titles in its archive, such as of course Skyrim and Fallout 4<\/a>. With a new IP of such magnitude, the standards have literally become astronomical, and the hype has inevitably pushed out one leak after another ahead of the game’s release next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many of those leaks have only bolstered that hype, one that appeared sight unseen in the past day or so has sparked a very unexpected, premature criticism of the game that is raising some eyebrows and some questions about how “open world” (or universe, rather) Starfield actually is, at least compared to what Todd Howard and Pete Hines have so far alluded to in promotional tweets and interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deemed the “Boundary Reached” leak, it originated from a Chinese forum discussing the game<\/a> as well as leaked gameplay footage on YouTube, which has since all been removed due to copyright strikes from Bethesda. Whether this is somehow tied to Darin Harris, the now-arrested<\/a> individual who stole dozens of copies of Starfield and also leaked footage himself, is not certain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either way, this leak seemed to show “boundary reached” in a box prompt that pops up on screen when the player reaches an “invisible wall” of sorts on a planet while exploring. There’s no clear indication of where this is taking place in the game, whether it’s during the tutorial or the actual main campaign. Bethesda has since claimed that the game opens up way, way more once the story gets going. Either way, it could possibly hint that entire planets may actually be broken up into loaded instances, and players may be asked to either open their map to load the next instance in front of them, or return to their ship to land in a different instance on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How True is the Starfield ‘Boundary Reached’ Leak?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Either way, this leak has since spread to many mainstream discussion forums, including Starfield’s own, with players and bystanders alike voicing their opinions on what it could mean, and how it would impact gameplay in their eyes. One side of the table is taking a rather pessimistic approach, claiming that Starfield leads Howard and Hines have deliberately misled fans with promises of seamless exploration on planets, no matter how big they are, and that this “revelation” of sorts all but ruins the game on principle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yup, if you want.

Walk on, brave explorer.<\/p>— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) August 22, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>