After 14 years at Bethesda, a former developer believes it’s time for the studio to switch to Unreal Engine 5. Nate Purkeypile, who left during Starfield’s development, argues that Unreal Engine 5 would be far better suited for creating open-world games.

Bethesda’s Creation Engine has been the foundation of expansive worlds in franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. While it’s capable of generating detailed and immersive environments, it has faced criticism for aging poorly and its technical constraints, including bugs, subpar animations, and performance issues.

In an interview with Kiwi Talkz, Nate Purkeypile—who worked at Bethesda for 14 years and left midway through Starfield’s production—shared his perspective. Now promoting his game, The Axis Unseen, Purkeypile stated that Bethesda should adopt Unreal Engine 5. He highlighted how Epic Games’ engine helped him save countless hours and meet his project’s deadlines.

“With the Creation Engine, we wouldn’t have been able to release this game in three years,” he remarked about The Axis Unseen. He emphasized that since open-world games are no longer uncommon, Unreal Engine 5 could streamline development significantly. He likened working with Bethesda’s engine to “being on a train laying tracks while everything is on fire.” While acknowledging that switching to Unreal Engine would involve considerable time and expense, he maintained it would be worth the effort to utilize the industry’s leading engine.

Should Bethesda Consider Changing Engines?

The question is one Bethesda itself must answer, and it’s likely something the studio has already considered. Many players argue this shift should have happened years ago, but the complexities of such a transition are often overlooked. One former Bethesda developer noted that switching engines would lead to slower initial progress, require additional training, and increase development costs.

Transitioning from Creation Engine to Unreal Engine 5 would entail a one-to-three-year adaptation period. Considering that The Elder Scrolls VI is Bethesda’s next major release, likely arriving after 2027, changing engines could delay the highly anticipated RPG even further. As Purkeypile previously said, “You need to weigh the costs and benefits carefully,” but he also added, “if the game is good, the engine doesn’t really matter.”

Source: 3djuegos