Microsoft has ended development of Redfall and shut down its studio, Arkane Austin, as part of devastating cuts at Bethesda.
First reported by IGN, Microsoft has closed down the aforementioned Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Studios, maker of mobile game Mighty Doom. Roundhouse Games will be absorbed by The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios. IGN has asked both Microsoft and Bethesda for comment.
In an email to staff sent by Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft blamed the cuts on a “reprioritization of titles and resources." The email, verified by IGN, also mentioned the end of development on Redfall. “Redfall’s previous update will be its last as we end all development on the game,” Booty said. “The game and its servers will remain online for players to enjoy and we will provide make-good offers to players who purchased the Hero DLC.”
The mention of the “make-good” relates to now-canceled DLC some players had bought up-front when Redfall went on sale last year. Redfall's one year anniversary came and went on May 2, 2024 with no word from publisher Bethesda despite the widely panned game receiving no updates in six months and owners of the $100 edition still awaiting additional content.
Fans who bought the $100 Bite Back Edition of Redfall, despite the base game being available day-one at no additional cost to Xbox Game Pass subscribers, were hoping for an announcement regarding their missing downloadable content as an anniversary celebration. No mention came from developer Arkane, Bethesda, or larger owner Xbox, however, leaving November 2023's patch notes as the last communication on this missing content. "We’re continuing development of The Hero Pass and we’re excited to share more about Redfall’s new heroes and other updates later next year," Arkane said at the time.
Signup here https://t.co/wb1R4m4emj to receive details on how eligible players can receive this credit. pic.twitter.com/69Os17kpQ8
— Arkane Studios (@ArkaneStudios) May 7, 2024
Clearly, things changed. At the time of this article’s publication, the Redfall Bite Back Edition was still available to buy. Bethesda has now set up a website to handle Redfall credit, although the process has yet to be made available.
“We are working to finalize details for the Redfall credit program,” a statement published on the website reads. “This article will be updated as new information becomes available shortly.”
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.
It took over a month for Arkane to release its first big patch for Redfall despite the launch being criticized for having bland missions, unengaging combat, poor AI enemies, struggling performance, myriad bugs, an always online requirement, and more.
It 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 an 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.
