Starfield returns with its latest patch on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S today, and this one's all about the "Creations" mod suite that's transformed the game on console over the past few weeks. There's also a bit of bad news though.
In terms of the patch, we're getting various fixes for the Creations suite, mainly focusing on issues like unresponsive states and problems with Quick Resume. It's a pretty small patch, and here's what's included:
- Resolved an issue that could cause an unresponsive state when loading a save with removed Creations
- Addressed an issue with opening the Microsoft Store after using Quick Resume
- Improved Credits purchase flow when using the Steam Store
- Addressed a cosmetic issue with Creation Store buttons while using Large Font Mode (Creation Kit)
- Resolved an issue with applying keywords to newly created folders
As for the bad news, Bethesda says it will no longer allow mods to be uploaded to Creations that involve editing the game's ".ini" files. The reason for this is because some of the edited files are "resulting in more negative effects than the benefits for allowing this functionality" - with an example being "audio corruption on the Xbox".
"With today's update to the #Starfield CK, we are also removing the ability to upload Creations with altered ini files, since some altered ini files are resulting in more negative effects than the benefits for allowing this functionality, such as audio corruption on the Xbox. Removing this functionality will bring Creations in line with how they work on Skyrim. We are investigating ways to address active Starfield Creations from creators that alter ini files. We thank you all for your patience and continued feedback."
As mentioned, a decision hasn't been made about what to do with the "active" Starfield Creations that edit .ini files, and they're still available to download on the Creations suite as things stand. We're assuming many of the performance-boosting mods for Xbox Series S are part of this, so it'll be interesting to see what happens with those.
In any case, we're going to have countless great mods to enjoy on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in the weeks, months and years to come, and it still feels like the community is only just scratching the surface of what's possible!