Starfield Director Todd Howard Writes Lovely Letter To Team Before Game's Launch

A decade ago, Starfield director Todd Howard says he approached then-ZeniMax CEO Robert A. Altman about a new game that would "delve into creation and the search for our place in the universe." Now, the space RPG is about to launch as one of the most important Xbox releases in years.

Windows Central got its hands on the internal memo Howard delivered to Microsoft and Bethesda, which details the early origins of Starfield all the way up to the early access global launch. It's a kind message that shows appreciation for leadership's belief in the project as well as team members who made the space RPG a reality.

Howard starts his letter by acknowledging Altman's support for a new property that wasn't tied to Elder Scrolls or Fallout. He wrote that he was the "very first to believe in us, no matter the situation." Altman, who was also a ZeniMax co-founder, died in February 2021.

Along with Altman, Howard gives praise to everyone at ZeniMax (including QA partners), Microsoft, and singles out Xbox head Phil Spencer, too. "His support of every game and every player has been unwavering and fierce," Howard says of Spencer. "Joining Xbox brought us closer to so many we had worked with for over 20 years."

Howard also makes a point to highlight his team at Bethesda Game Studios. "It's an incredible blessing to be surrounded by so many talented and inspirational people every day," he wrote. You can read the entire message from Howard over on Windows Central.

Starfield is a "critically important" game for Xbox Game Pass, which might explain why the $1 trial for the subscription service just disappeared. While you wait for the space RPG to launch, you can build your Starfield character right now.

For more on the game, check out everything we know about Starfield.