Redfall was billed as one of the next big exclusives to hit the Microsoft Xbox Series X/S and PC platforms. After Microsoft had acquired Zenimax Media which came with several studios, including Arkane Studios, Redfall would be the first title to launch that wouldn’t be available on the competitor platforms. But the game launched with less than ideal reception from critics and fans alike.
It was a buggy mess with plenty of problems that fans felt were half-baked. That has left some fans wondering just what happened. Despite the game failing to reach mass appeal at launch, it looks like the developers will continue providing updates. But now we’re learning that this game project was something that the development team was hopeful the folks at Microsoft would opt to cancel after seeing the project in person. Unfortunately, as we know, that didn’t happen.
A new report from Bloomberg detailed the failure that is Redfall. Reporter and industry insider Jason Schreier wrote about the lack of direction and internal problems that the team had when developing Redfall. For instance, the game was a multiplayer-focused title from a studio known for delivering immersive single-player games. As a result, plenty of employees left the studio to avoid working on a project they didn’t feel connected with. According to the report, it’s estimated that about 70% of the staff that worked on their previous project, Prey, had left.
But again, it’s noted in this report that the developers at Arkane Studios were hopeful that Microsoft would see Redfall and cancel it when they were acquired. Although, it also pointed out that some of the staff were hopeful that Microsoft would reboot the game to allow the developers a chance to recreate a single-player title. But instead, Microsoft took a hands-off approach and allowed Arkane to continue progressing through the game. This is something that the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, noted in the past when Microsoft would need to look into projects and offer aid even if the game projects were fairly a good way into development after being acquired.
At any rate, Redfall became a dud and was quickly one of the worst-reviewed titles of the year. Still, with Arkane’s track record, there are expectations that they can turn around and deliver another thrilling immersive gameplay experience. If you haven’t tried Redfall and would like to know a little more about it, we have a Before You Buy video coverage of the title, which you can view below.
