Summary
A former Bethesda developer has explained thatStarfieldmay have fallen flat for some users because of a lack of freedom in development. Like any major studio, Bethesda is no stranger to critical responses from players, despite, or perhaps because of, building a devoted fanbase through a history of strong releases. WhileStarfieldwas largely a success and received plenty of praise, some felt that it was missing something the studio’s previous efforts shared, and now an ex-dev has given some insight as to why.
Despite losing some of its luster over time,Starfieldwas Bethesda’s biggest-ever game launch, drawing over six million players in one day. Initial reviews were likewise positive, with many praising its environments, combat, and story. Still, its ratings started to dip after more people spent more time with it, and some fans have expressed that the game felt a little shallow and stale, especially in light of earlier fan-favorite works from the studio likeSkyrim.
At a Game Developers Conference talk reported byPC Gamer, Nate Purkeypile, a former Bethesda dev, touched on the reason whyStarfieldmay have felt this way. According to Purkeypile, Bethesda increasingly bogged developers down in meetings and limited their freedom as the studio got bigger. He reported that some aspects ofSkyrim, like its werewolves and the entire city of Blackreach, came from devs' passion projects they pursued on the side, but that sort of experimentation wasn’t possible withStarfield. However, not everyone felt that lack of creativity.God of Wardirector David JaffesaidStarfieldhad one of the best narratives in modern gaming, but this more restricted development model could explain why the game fell flat for others.
Ex-Bethesda Dev Claims Starfield Did Not Give Developers as Much Freedom as Skyrim
Purkeypile clarified that his comments about a lack of developer freedom were not an attack on the studio but rather an inevitable consequence of large teams. He explained that it would be “a mess” if 500 people all broke normal workflows to experiment with their own ideas, but those sorts of risks are still reasonable in a team of just 100 people. Given how big Bethesda is now, it can’t justify giving everyone unlimited freedom and still put out a complete game on time. This falls in line with previous comments from anotherStarfielddev who said game development is a series of tough decisions, which leads to a disconnect with players.
Bethesda’s increasingly corporate and meeting-heavy structure was enough to drive Purkeypile away from the company, but it’s unclear how it might affect future titles. All eyes are now on the nextElder ScrollsandFalloutgames, so it’ll be interesting to see if they manage to re-capture the old Bethesda magic. Some rumors suggest the studio could offerthe first real look atElder Scrolls 6by July 2025, but fans will have to wait and see to know anything more for sure.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
