“I was surprised there were so many.” Nate Purkeypile, a former Bethesda developer, shared his thoughts on the numerous loading screens in Starfield, especially in Neon City, and explained the reasons behind them.

Launched in 2023 as one of the most anticipated games of the year, Starfield aimed to deliver a sprawling space RPG with over 1,000 planets to explore. With its massive universe and emphasis on storytelling and discovery, the game captured the attention of many players, building a dedicated community of space enthusiasts. However, some features divided fans, including the high number of loading screens.

What’s Behind the Many Loading Zones in Starfield’s Cities?

Nate Purkeypile, a former developer who spent 14 years at Bethesda before leaving in 2021, discussed his experience with Starfield during an interview with Videogamer. He specifically addressed the game’s loading screens in major cities, including Neon, a location he helped develop.

“Neon could have existed without so many loading zones. When I worked on it, some of these weren’t even there, so I was surprised to see so many in the final version,” Purkeypile explained. He attributed this to two main factors: the constraints of the Creation Engine and the need for performance optimization. “A lot of this comes down to turning off certain features in Neon to improve performance,” he added (via IGN).

Purkeypile, who served as the lead lighting artist for Starfield, also mentioned New Atlantis, another major city in the game. Its transportation system uses loading screens to make travel faster. “For New Atlantis, I think it’s simply to avoid players sitting on the train for the entire trip,” he noted. He also suggested that Bethesda might benefit from transitioning to Unreal Engine 5, although others in the industry disagree about whether it’s worth the effort.

Source: 3DJuegos