Bethesda Has Filed A New Trademark Titled Starborn, Possibly For A Starfield Expansion

Bethesda has filed a new trademark titled Starborn. The name suggests that it may be for an upcoming Starfield expansion.

A new trademark titled Starborn has been filed by ZeniMax Media Inc., parent company of Bethesda Game Studios, on Justia. The application was filed recently on July 12, 2024. It’s not entirely clear whether it is for a brand new game or an expansion to Starfield, though the name suggests that it it may be the latter.

For the uninitiated, the Starborn are mysterious entities in Starfield who appear to Constellation after the Spacefarer gathers enough Artifacts. Although first thought to be extraterrestrial or supernatural, they are actually humans who have traveled through the Unity, a portal enabling inter-universal travel. They lack a central authority or organization and have varying opinions on how the Artifacts should be accessed. These beings produce unusual results when scanned with human medical equipment, as seen when Noel scans the Starborn Spacefarer in The Lodge. Despite possessing powers beyond human understanding, they retain many human biological traits, such as needing oxygen and protection from hostile environments.

The trademark filed under the name of Starborn implies that it may be related to Starfield in some shape or form. The likely scenario would be for it to be some sort of DLC or expansion that focuses on the mysterious entities. It’s likely that the DLC’s main story missions will delve deeper into the lore of the Starborn and offer greater insight into their background and existence.

Existing Starfield DLC has been the subject of criticism due to its pricing. The game was review bombed on Steam after the price of the recent DLC content had been revealed. Fans were unhappy about the way the Creations and Trackers Alliance missions had been priced, each of which costs $7. Many had highlighted that selling individual missions had set an unwanted precedent, and feared that Bethesda may eventually push for paid mods.