What Engine Does Starfield Use?

There are a lot of aspects that make Starfield a special title for Bethesda. The idea to create a sci-fi game has been bouncing around the studio since the 90s, making it a project several years in the making. It is also the studio’s first new IP in over two decades, so expectations are high.

Starfield will be the first game to make use of Creation Engine 2, which is a new video game engine created by Bethesda. Trailers have already shown that the engine will allow developers to do a lot more, opening the door for the upcoming game to achieve feats that past Bethesda games couldn’t.

Bethesda makes a new game engine

Bethesda has gone through a few game engines in its lifetime. The popular Gamebyro engine was used to create several classic titles from the studio, including The Elder Scrolls 3 and 4. Bethesda isn’t the only studio to have used this engine and it is also behind games by Larian Studios, Atlus, and Ubisoft, to name a few.

Fallout 3 was the last Bethesda-developed game to be made using the engine, as the studio would go on to create its own in-house engine dubbed Creation Engine. One of the benefits of the engine is that it allows for a modular style of development, making the studio’s games very moddable. Fanmade communities have sprung up that use the Creation Kit to add their unique twists to the sprawling open-worlds created by Bethesda.

A lot is riding on Starfield, so the studio decided a major overhaul of the Creation Engine would be necessary for the space game. According to Todd Howard, this is the largest engine overhaul the studio’s ever done, and it’s also being used for The Elder Scrolls 6.

What to expect from Creative Engine 2

In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, Howard admits that Creation Engine 2 took very long to make, but he’s happy with the results. He claims the lighting model is “awesome” and that global illumination is used. Howard is also impressed with the game’s volumetric fog that interacts with the lighting in spectacular ways. He also compliments the game’s quest system, explaining how players can have multiple missions active, though it’ll get chaotic at times.

You can also expect another highly moddable game from Bethesda. Full mod support has already been confirmed, and Howard has described the upcoming game as a “modder’s paradise”. This is a good move, as it raises the chances of Starfield having a long lifespan.