Bethesda Clarifies Doom Developer Id Software’s Involvement With Starfield

Bethesda has clarified Doom developer Id Software’s involvement in Starfield’s development in the wake of a May rumor claiming the fellow Zenimax-owned studio had stepped in to overhaul Starfield’s combat.

In an interview with IGN ahead of the Xbox Showcase and Starfield Direct, Bethesda boss Todd Howard confirmed Id Software had helped out with Starfield’s graphics, but “they did not help us with the combat.”

“Well, first of all, I’d say being in the company, knowing the folks at Id Software for a long time, I’m a huge Doom fan,” Howard said. “They’re the absolute best. Doom Eternal is one of my favorite games.

“So with Fallout 4, they did give us a few tips on how to handle combat. And Starfield, we redid the combat ourselves and it’s really feeling great. But Id has helped us really more on the graphics side.”

Howard said Bethesda wanted to “bring over” some aspects of the Id Tech engine into the Creation Engine in a bid to improve Starfield’s look and feel. Id Software is of course well-known for its first-person shooters, and Starfield, like the Bethesda’s Fallout games, incorporates this type of action into its combat.

“So we get into motion blur,” Howard explained. “It’s just how the game feels smooth. Some other things that they do in id Tech that we wanted to bring over into Creation Engine 2, and they helped us do that, and it’s great.”

Howard then teased Id Software’s unannounced next game, but stopped short of saying anything meaningful about it.

“And I’m such a fan of what they do. So being able to get an early look at what they’re doing next… Not here to talk about that, but it’s just…”

Id Software’s last major release was 2020’s Doom Eternal, although it launched the full version of Quake Champions in 2022 after five years of early access. The studio has been quiet since.

Check out IGN’s roundup of the Xbox Showcase, IGN’s roundup of the Starfield Direct, and be sure to check out our Summer of Gaming 2023 schedule to find out what’s coming next.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Send news tips to [email protected].