A former Bethesda artist has stirred conversation about the studio’s future by suggesting it might be time to retire its long-standing Creation Engine in favor of Unreal Engine 5. According to the ex-dev, such a shift could resolve persistent technical challenges and improve both the development process and player satisfaction.
Bethesda has relied on variations of the Creation Engine since the release of Skyrim in 2011, which itself was built on the older Gamebryo engine. While the studio upgraded to Creation Engine 2 for Starfield, long-standing issues like bugs and outdated systems remain a point of contention among fans. This has sparked debates about whether Bethesda should embrace a more modern engine for its upcoming titles.
Over a decade of Bethesda games—from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to Fallout 4—have faced criticism for recurring bugs and quirks tied to the Creation Engine. The latest iteration, Creation Engine 2, debuted with Starfield but required significant development time to enhance rendering and animation systems. While this investment may streamline future projects, players and developers alike have expressed concerns that fundamental limitations still linger, potentially slowing progress.
Unreal Engine 5: A Potential Game-Changer?
Former Bethesda artist Nate Purkeypile, who worked on Skyrim, Fallout, and Starfield, recently shared his perspective on the Kiwi Talkz podcast. Having used both the Creation Engine and Unreal Engine 5, Purkeypile believes that switching to Unreal Engine 5 could yield better results for Bethesda’s projects. He cited smoother workflows and advanced rendering capabilities as key advantages. However, he also expressed doubt that the studio would make such a drastic change anytime soon.
While Unreal Engine 5 is renowned for its ability to produce hyper-realistic visuals, it’s not without its own drawbacks. Some titles, like the Silent Hill 2 remake, have experienced performance issues such as stuttering, leaving developers to weigh the trade-offs between graphical fidelity and stability.
For Bethesda, adopting Unreal Engine 5 would also raise questions about accessibility for its massive PC modding community. Historically, the Creation Engine has been lauded for its mod-friendly nature, allowing fans to customize and expand games in nearly limitless ways. Transitioning to Unreal Engine 5 could complicate modding for lower-end PC users, a demographic Bethesda has long catered to.
Moreover, Starfield’s performance, though not universally praised, prioritized accessibility across a wide range of hardware. Ensuring future games balance modern visuals and playability will be critical for the studio.
With Bethesda’s next major release likely years away, the company has time to evaluate its technology stack. The Creation Engine could undergo further refinement, or the studio might eventually pivot to a new platform. Similarly, Unreal Engine 5 could evolve to address its current limitations, making it a more attractive option.
Ultimately, Bethesda’s path remains uncertain, but fans are hopeful the studio will deliver a smoother, much better gaming experience in its upcoming titles, leaving the mixed reception of Starfield behind.
