Over the years Bethesda has paid tribute to players and animals alike. A few years ago, the real-life German Shepherd who inspired Fallout 4’s Dogmeat passed away. The community paid tribute, and Bethesda donated $10,000 on her behalf to a dog charity. More recently, early Starfield footage paid tribute to a popular Skyrim player via a cameo in the gameplay footage released in June this year.
Now, Bethesda is paying the ultimate tribute. There’s a special Easter egg in Starfield for a dedicated fan who passed away before he could play the game. Alex Hay’s tribute note can be found by all players.
Who is Alex Hay?
Alex Hay is a dedicated gamer and fan of Starfield. He had been following the games’ development for several years. He’s also a developer himself, having developed some popular tools such as Toolbox Pro, Nautomate, and Logger. According to his website, he was based in London, and is also a documentary editor. In May this year, Hay posted on Reddit that he would likely not be able to play the game as he had ceased his lung cancer treatment in September last year. Hay was under palliative care at the time of his post, being looked after by his parents and playing Xbox as a “form of escapism”.
Ten days after his Reddit post, Hay’s family confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that he had passed away. Reddit user simoncroberts replied to Hay’s Reddit post stating that Hays “loved Bethesda games” including many of the Elder Scrolls and Fallout games. The user also said Hay had sunk more than “1000 hours into Rimworld on PC” and had complete both Hogwarts Legacy and Elden Ring.
Just to let you know that our son, Alex Hay, passed away in March after a brave battle with cancer. He was an amazing & talented guy who will be forever in the thoughts of his many friends, work colleagues & family. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Jack Hay
— Alex Hay (@mralexhay) May 16, 2023
The Reddit user called for “anyone from Bethesda who would like to put [Alex Hay] in Starfield or an [Elder Scrolls] game” to reach out.
Fans call for tribute
Following the Hay’s Reddit post, many fans started calling for an Alex Hay tribute in Starfield. Comments on Hay’s original Reddit post sees many fans stating that they would call their ship after Hay. A small movement started on X (Formerly Twitter) with the #AlexInStarfield tag. Some articles were written and fans started their own Reddit threads. Their voices were heard.
Bethesda responds with Alex Hay tribute
The voices of fans were heard and an Alex Hay tribute was added to the Starfield game. Players can find the Alex Hay tribute note after entering the Eye. Take the tunnel on the right until you reach the blocked airlock. The tribute note is sitting on the bench:
You can reach the Eye by finding it orbiting the “Jemison in the Alpha Centauri system”. There’s a short quest there called “Short Sighted”. It’s here that you’ll find the note. Click on the note to read it:
