It was a quiet 2025 for Bethesda’s Starfield, especially following the disappointing Shattered Space, but next year could be different. Rumors have circulated about a “2.0”-style update with several improvements, though it’s apparently nowhere near as extensive as Cyberpunk 2077 or No Man’s Sky. However, it could apparently go beyond gameplay systems and involve the Creation Engine.
On a recent podcast with Rand al Thor 19, Windows Central’s Jez Corden reported hearing of the team “leveraging aspects of Unreal Engine and incorporating those into the Creation Engine.” It reportedly has improved the latter “across the board” while offering various “technological improvements.” Interestingly, The Coalition, specifically its technical director, Kate Raynor, and her team, have allegedly been helping in this regard.
That’s not all – this technical overhaul is allegedly a “test bed” for future titles, like The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5. It’s worth noting that this apparently isn’t Bethesda shifting from Creation to Unreal but rather “boosting” the former with similar tech.
Of course, Corden advises taking all this with a grain of salt, but if true, it would make sense. The Creation Engine has long been criticized for the myriad of bugs and underwhelming visual fidelity (at least compared to more contemporary games). However, its strengths made it well-suited for what Bethesda wanted with Fallout 4 and Starfield, especially in base-building.
Time will tell just how significant this overhaul is in terms of gameplay and tech, so stay tuned for updates.
