Bethesda does 'largest engine overhaul in history' for Elder Scrolls 6

Bethesda promises its new RPGs like Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI will be powered by a brand new overhauled Creation Engine.

Comment IconFacebook IconX IconReddit Icon
Senior Gaming Editor
Published
Updated
2 minutes & 15 seconds read time

Bethesda says it's performed its "largest engine overhaul since Oblivion" to ensure its Creation Engine is in tip-top shape for next-gen hardware.

Bethesda does 'largest engine overhaul in history' for Elder Scrolls 6 43

Today Microsoft bought Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion, and acquired the rights to Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Doom, and everything else ZeniMax owned. It's a big, big deal for Xbox and the future of RPGs. Nestled in Todd Howard's announcement post is mention of new engine optimizations for Bethesda Game Studios' two big new games: Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6.

Howard says both Starfield, its new singleplayer interstellar RPG space epic, and The Elder Scrolls VI will be powered by a new-and-improved version of the Creation Engine. This new engine update is specifically optimized for next-gen console hardware, including the Xbox Series X and Series S duo, Howard says.

"With each new console cycle, we evolved together. From bringing mods to consoles" with Fallout 4, now over a billion downloads, to the latest technologies fueling Xbox Series X/S. These new systems are optimized for the vast worlds we love to create, with generational leaps not just in graphics, but CPU and data streaming as well. It's led to our largest engine overhaul since Oblivion, with all new technologies powering our first new IP in 25 years, Starfield, as well as The Elder Scrolls VI," Howard said in the post.

Of course we don't know exactly what these optimizations are, but expect to see next-gen staple features like ultra-fast loading, more immersive worlds thanks to the capable data streaming tech of DirectX 12 Ultimate APIs like DirecStorage and the new Velocity Architecture, new advanced visual features like ray tracing, and more.

This echoes what Howard said in March about Bethesda's next-gen visuals technology it's developing specifically for TESVI:

"We're building the technology now that's going to fuel our future games," Todd Howard said in the March 2020 25th Elder Scrolls anniversary video.

"We're using photogrammetry to scan in all these real-world assets and push our future tech for games to levels we have not done before."

Also expect to see both Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI release on Game Pass day and date of release.

Bethesda Game Studios and all of it the Softworks internal studios like Tango, id, and MachineGames are now first-party Xbox studios. That means all of their games will simultaneously launch on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass--complete with integrated streaming via Project xCloud.

Today is a great day to be an Xbox gamer and Bethesda's inclusion into the brand will bring decades' worth of value.

Photo of the Fallout 4 - PlayStation 4
Best Deals: Fallout 4 - PlayStation 4
Country flagToday7 days ago30 days ago
$29.99 USD$54.89 USD
$49.99 CAD$80.37 CAD
-£33.17
$29.99 USD$54.89 USD
* Prices last scanned on 4/17/2025 at 4:49 pm CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.
NEWS SOURCE:bethesda.net

Senior Gaming Editor

Email IconX IconLinkedIn Icon

Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

Related Topics

Newsletter Subscription