Summary
- Bethesda pays tribute to Starfield fan Alex Hay, who sadly passed away, by immortalizing him in-game with a heartfelt note.
- Alex, a cancer patient, expressed his disappointment in not being able to play Starfield before his death.
- The discovery of the tribute note in Starfield has touched the community, with some players planning to honor Alex by naming characters and ships after him.
Alex Hay, a Starfield fan who sadly passed away earlier this year, has been left a touching tribute by Bethesda inside of the studio's latest release.
Back in March, a Reddit post appeared by Alex stating that he wouldn't be able to play Starfield. "Was disappointed with the delay from November as I’d stopped treatment for my lung cancer (aged 35, never smoked) in September and was looking forward to it as a distraction," Alex said. His post then went on to say, "Now I’m under palliative care being looked after by my parents and playing my Xbox is a great form of escapism for me but holding out another 6 months is unlikely so… enjoy it on my behalf."
Many suggested that Alex reach out to Bethesda or a foundation such as Make A Wish, to see if he would be able to play Starfield prior to its release. Later that month, an update was posted in the same post, presumably by a close friend or family member, announcing the death of Alex. Well, Bethesda seems to have taken note of Alex's love for Starfield and has immortalized him in-game.
As discovered by Reddit user Hunter World, a note can be discovered in Starfield which reads, "To all my friends and fellow explorers, I'm always with you, out there in the starfield. Love always, Alex Hay." The user said that this note was discovered on the Eye as you enter.
It's unknown as to whether Alex reached out to Bethesda personally, or if a developer simply stumbled across Alex's original post and decided to pay their respects with this touching tribute. Either way, Alex has now been immortalized in one of 2023's biggest releases. Others responded to the post by praising Bethesda for the touching tribute, while others said they would be naming their character and ship after Alex to honor him.
Starfield will be released on September 6th, but premium edition owners can jump in right now thanks to the 5 days of early access included.