Bethesda RPG games are filled with stuff, and Starfield is no exception. Everywhere you look you can pick up junk that can be used as a resource for crafting, with every individual item meticulously placed to help tell a story about the place you’re in. To help bring this to life ahead of the Starfield release date, it’s been revealed that Bethesda actually hired a Skyrim and Fallout 4 modder with an incredible understanding of clutter, and we’re all the better for it.
Fallout 4 and Skyrim modder Emmi ‘Elianora’ Junkarri has confirmed that they were one of many to work on lighting and clutter in Starfield, after making mods for previous Bethesda games that focused on making believable world spaces and homes, with an abundance of clutter being no small part in that.
“I was merely pretending whenever I said I hadn’t a clue what Starfield would be like and what Bethesda could be up to,” Junkarri says. “I acted like I was in total awe of the clutter. Actually, I placed some of that clutter myself. Bethesda hired me as a lighting and clutter artist to work on Starfield.”
Sure enough, Junkkari is listed as an additional lighting artist in the Starfield credits, with them working on Starfield between October 2021 and June 2022, according to LinkedIn. Their work included lighting locations in accordance with Bethesda design documents, interior design and construction, and placing clutter and set dressing. Just wandering around Starfield’s New Atlantis should tell you everything you need to know about the quality of the world-building work.
A lot of Junkkari’s work can be found on the Skyrim creation club, and on NexusMods for work between both Skyrim and Fallout 4. Junkarri even talked with Bethesda for a creator spotlight in 2018, so it’s clear that the RPG makers had their eye on them for a while.
At the time Junkarri was asked what the best part about working on creation club content was, and had this to say, “Gotta be honest, my favorite part is the interaction with the devs.
“Getting feedback, being able to improve my work based on it, finding the best ways to do things, and having the help and support of the people who made these games has been an incredible experience for me. It’s surprising to me how much fun we have and how friendly and passionate everyone is!”
Bethesda’s world-building has always been top-notch, with every room of every building feeling actively lived in and alive (unless we’re talking about Fallout of course, but who wants to sweep up dust when there’s a wall missing from your living room), and Starfield is no exception. I don’t know exactly which parts of Starfield Junkarri worked on, but I know that the clutter in every outpost, city, and Starfield ship has been totally immersive, so it’s great to see. Even the Starfield factions all feel unique and with years of history, as expected.
You can find Junkarri’s work over on NexusMods, alongside statements about working with Bethesda on Starfield over on Twitter.
If, like hundreds of thousands of us, you’re getting stuck into Bethesda’s new universe on PC and want some help, we’ve got your back with a breakdown of the best Starfield builds depending on your playstyle and all the Starfield console commands and cheats you’ll ever need to know. And if you love tweaking the game, then check our guide to the best Starfield mods.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.
