Wal-Mart Ditching Starfield & Physical Games?!

Walmart Is Reportedly Going to Throw Out Copies of Starfield. Walmart seems set to discard physical copies of the Xbox Series X exclusive game Starfield starting next week. With the growing popularity of digital media, physical sales have been declining, and major retailers, like Best Buy, have been stepping back from physical media sales. Reports from last year indicated Walmart might stop selling physical Xbox games, and recent evidence supports this. Memos shared by Walmart employees on social media reveal instructions to dispose of Starfield.

According to the memo, Walmart plans to reduce the price of physical copies of Starfield from $69.99 to $0.03 starting January 22, with a "point of sale block" in effect, preventing actual purchases. Although some lucky customers might still acquire Starfield for nearly nothing, the plan is to collect and dispose of copies by February 5. While there's a possibility the memo is fake, insider Wario64 confirms its authenticity from another source.

This move doesn't affect Starfield's future, as the majority of players obtained the game digitally through Steam, Xbox, or Xbox Game Pass. Despite Walmart discarding physical copies, Bethesda intends significant support for the game in 2024, with a major update in beta testing and the anticipation of the game's first major DLC, Shattered Space. Details about the expansion remain limited, but Bethesda plans to reveal more information in the coming months.

Looking ahead, the decline of physical media continues, impacting game preservation efforts but aligning with the digital media trend. Starfield is just the beginning, prompting speculation about Walmart's eventual shift away from selling physical media entirely.