Bethesda
In a recent interview at this year’s GDC, ex-Bethesda Developer Nate Purkeypile, who contributed to the creation of Skyrim as a Senior World Artist and Lighting Artist, shared insights into the studio’s development approach for the iconic 2011 RPG that was characterized by the team’s freedom and flexibility during production.
The developer shared (via PC Gamer) that the developers were given significant creative freedom and recalled the building of the city of Blackreach, which wasn’t part of the original schedule: “We had quite a bit of freedom to do stuff. The one that people know about was Blackreach … That was not on schedule at all. Like we just kind of did that on the side and put it in.”
Purkeypile also revealed that Skyrim’s werewolves started off as a rough concept but were eventually transformed into something more visually impressive through the voluntary efforts of individual developers. “That was a whole side-project from somebody. Originally, it was just dudes with dog heads, and someone took it upon themselves to make it awesome,” he said.
The creator summed up that it was this flexible and non-restrictive approach that led to appearance of the game’s many beloved features. “A lot of the great stuff within Skyrim came from having that freedom to do what you want, as opposed to a game with this whole ‘checklist design’ and ‘design by committee,'” Purkeypile noted.
The 2011 RPG remains beloved by fans, continues to be widely played, and still inspires countless talented creators today. For example, 3D Artist Leo Torres makes fantastic recreations of the Skyrim locations, including Riverwood, High Hrothgar, and Whiterun.
Don’t forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
