The deadline for Bethesda’s newest open-world game,Starfield, is looming and fans are itching for news regarding its development. Theupcoming game will be an RPG, with features similar to the developer’s successful franchisesFalloutandThe Elder Scrolls. Longtime Bethesda fans will enjoy the game’s familiar open exploration, resource management, multiple quest lines, and even lock picking.Starfield, however, is different from its predecessors in terms of combat, as shown in last year’s gameplay trailer, and recent rumors suggest that this is thanks to help from another developer within ZeniMax media: id Software.
Starfield’s official gameplay trailer showcased the game’s combat system, and fans were quick to notice that it was more fast-paced and dynamic compared to previous Bethesda titles. It shows the player sliding into cover and quickly throwing a grenade. They could even use a jetpack to snipe enemies in midair, a feat that isn’t usually possible in games likeFallout 4orSkyrim. Dynamic movement and gunplay are id Software’s bread and butter, which is why it’s no surprise to fans that they might be working onStarfield.
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id Software is the Right Choice to Help Out With Starfield’s Combat
id Software is the right company to help Bethesda streamlineStarfield’s combat because of its solid experience with some ofthe best FPS games. The company rose to fame as one of the pioneers of the first-person shooter genre withWolfenstein 3D. It also createdDoomin 1993, which went on to make the genre even more popular. The company continued to be at the forefront of FPS game development throughout the 90s, and id Software eventually broke into multiplayer shooters withQuake.
Quake introduced fast-paced shooting and movement mechanics, which let players bob and weave quickly through cover while shooting. These mechanics trickled down to other games as well, like futureDoomandWolfensteintitles.Doom(2016) andDoom Eternal(2020) received multiplenominations from The Game Awardsfor their slick gunplay and movement, which let players kill hordes of enemy demons with style. It’s all thanks to id Software’s innovations throughout the decades, but whether the company is working onStarfieldis still up in the air, as the only source of this news is a rumor posted on 4Chan. However, if the rumors are true, then Bethesda’s foray into cosmic gunfights is in good hands.
Starfield Wouldn’t be id Software’s First Rodeo With Bethesda
Players noticed thatFallout 4’s combatwas significantly better than its predecessor. This is thanks to a collaboration between id Software and Bethesda. In a video titled “Fallout 4 – Player Freedom in an Open World,” Game Director Todd Howard stated thatFallout 4feels like a modern FPS game because Bethesda rebuilt the shooting mechanics from scratch, and its sister company id Software helped out with this process. The result, according to Howard, was smooth and responsive gunplay whether the player used first-person or third-person perspective.
id Software has seemingly perfected the single-player first-person shooter gameplay, as evidenced by its widely successful titles, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down when it comes to innovation, either, with significant improvements to its games from one sequel to another. Being under the ZeniMax umbrella also means that the company can easily collaborate with acclaimed developers within the company, like Bethesda. Based on the gameplay footage,Starfield’s combat looks like it has id Software’s fingerprints all over it. TherecentStarfieldleaksare only adding fuel to the hype, and at this point, it will be a bigger surprise if the company didn’t work on the game at all.
Starfieldwill be released on July 22, 2025, for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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