While a number of reviewers under NDA do have access to Starfield already, the game isn't supposed to end up in the hands of the public until at least the 1st of September. It would seem that someone was able to get hold of a physical copy of the game weeks ahead of time and now, gameplay footage is being shared online.
While some reviewers have already stepped over the NDA line by sharing early impressions of the game, no footage of the game in action had leaked until now. A small YouTube channel randomly uploaded roughly an hour of gameplay footage earlier today, filmed using a camera pointed at a TV, rather than direct capture methods. This leads us to believe that this person was able to get hold of an early physical copy of the game on disc and this leak was likely unplanned.
The footage is from the very start of the game, so it isn't spoiling much but many fans have been waiting years for this game, so if you are the type of person that likes to go into a new game blind, then this is your warning – spoilers are out there and gameplay footage is being actively shared, so tread carefully when looking up anything Starfield-related online.
The original gameplay footage upload has been taken down by YouTube already following a DMCA claim from Zenimax. However, the uploader has also stated that they plan to upload more gameplay footage.
Exactly how this person got hold of the game remains unclear but it isn't uncommon for some retailers to break street date on major releases. We saw an example of this earlier this year when a few fans got hold of physical copies of Final Fantasy 16 for the PS5 well ahead of the official release date.
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KitGuru Says: Now that the first leak has happened, I'm sure Zenimax's legal team will be keeping a sharp eye on video sharing sites and popular forums in order to quickly stamp out any further leaks.