Redfall will see the release of one final update amid the closure of its developer, Arkane Austin.
Game Update 4 will revamp the Neighborhood and Nest systems, add single-player pausing, and add the promised offline mode, among other things.
Thank you for all your supportive messages.
— Redfall (@playRedfall) May 17, 2024
We are working to release our final update, Game Update 4, that brings revamped Neighborhood and Nest systems, Single Player Pausing, Offline Mode, and more.
We’ll provide additional details soon. Thank you all.
IGN had reported that Redfall had a roadmap of support that was being actively worked on before Microsoft scrapped all development and closed its developer as part of significant cuts at Bethesda that also saw the end for Hi-Fi Rush maker Tango Gameworks.
Arkane Austin was working on DLC and updates for the game with the expectation they would release in May, IGN understands, suggesting Microsoft’s internal announcement that it was closing the developer came as a shock to staff.
IGN was told that the now canceled Hero Pass content, which was set to add two new characters to the vampire co-op shooter, was scheduled for release this Halloween. There is no suggestion this Hero Pass content will be released.
In an email sent to staff on May 7, Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, blamed the cuts on a “reprioritization of titles and resources.” The email, verified by IGN, stated that Redfall’s previous update would “be its last as we end all development on the game.”
Redfall’s servers will remain online, Booty added, with a “make-good offer” to players who purchased the Hero DLC. At the time of this article’s publication, the details for this ‘Redfall credit program’ had yet to be announced.
Redfall’s offline mode arrives over a year after the game’s disastrous launch and following an ever-shrinking playerbase. In March last year, ahead of Redfall’s release, Arkane Austin said it was working on a fix that would reverse Redfall’s always-online requirement, an aspect that was met with backlash when first announced.
Redfall is one of the highest-profile disasters in Xbox history. The game was widely panned by critics and players at launch and reportedly had a deeply troubled development. Redfall's launch struggles ultimately resulted in executives like Phil Spencer and Matt Booty issuing statements about Xbox's own role in its weak release. Last year, then-Bethesda Softworks publishing head Pete Hines reassured players that Arkane wouldn’t give up on Redfall, insisting he was confident it would be a good game people wanted to play on Game Pass 10 years from now.
But it took over a month for Arkane to release its first big patch for Redfall despite the launch being criticized for having bland missions, boring combat, poor AI enemies, struggling performance, myriad bugs, an always-online requirement, and more.
It then took five months for the Xbox Series X version to get 60 frames per second support, and Arkane upset fans again the following month when its third patch was headlined by a new sniper rifle instead of highly requested features like the offline mode. And this was the last fans heard.
In our 4/10 review, IGN said: "Redfall is a bafflingly bad time across the board. Plagued with bland missions, boneheaded enemies, and repeated technical problems, Redfall simply wasn't ready for daylight in this state."
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
