What is the whole Starfield "boundary reached" controversy?

Fariha Bhatti Published 30/08/2023

Starfield’s fully explorable galaxy is really not that explorable. Leakers who encountered a “boundary reached” text box claim Bethesda lied.

Bethesda’s space RPG is 2023’s one of the most hotly-anticipated titles, now merely a day away from full reveal. However, leakers and those who claimed early access by illegal means are accusing Bethesda of lying about the exploration range in Starfield.

Videos of players encountering the “boundary reached” errors spread online a day ago but were soon deleted from the internet. However, archives show a player running into an invisible wall after closing down the “boundary reached” text box. The game offers an option to move back to the ship, which instantly ends the journey into the void.

“Boundary reached. Open the map to explore another region, or return to your ship.” the text box says.

While in a generic RPG, this error wouldn’t mean much. However, Starfield had promised free exploration into the abyss and planets after landing as well. This was one of the key reasons behind the hype around Starfield. However, leakers are telling a different story.

Starfield boundary reached error has fans contemplating the early purchase

The text box appeared 10 minutes after walking in a certain direction, but it’s unknown how long the leaker had walked before the error. While it’s certainly not what Bethesda promised, RPG enthusiasts think it’s a trivial issue. Exploring an abyss and walking in the same direction is something that no one is planning to do. When there’s nothing to explore, an error to return to the ship after walking for almost an hour isn’t worth the drama.

Those who have played the game under embargo are tight-lipped but have vaguely scraped the accusations. Games writer at Forbes, Paul Tassi, said the “boundary reached” drama is very stupid. Other playtesters have assured the players to wait for reviews before believing the negative leaks online.

It remains to be seen how much truth there is to the boundary reached rumor, but it’s likely a small issue that has been blown out of proportion.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

View full profile