Microsoft has started giving out refunds for Redfall’s Bite Back Edition.
Redfall, for those who missed out on it, was a Borderlands style looter shooter, set in a Midwestern town that was taken over by vampires. One to four players would go through the town of Redfall, fighting the vampires and their human accomplices, and slowly taking the city back inch by inch. Taking things a step further from Borderland, Redfall was also set in a real open world, increasing the ambition, but promising a lot more playtime.
Unfortunately, developer Arkane Austin was not able to bring this ambitious game idea to real fruition, with multiple delays only leading to a poorly received release, thanks to multiple technical issues. The game launched on May 2, 2023, on Xbox Series X|S, Windows via Steam, and Game Pass. Microsoft would then announce the end of development on May 2024, alongside the closure of the studio that made it, Arkane Austin.
Of course, in spite of how Redfall turned out, this was a huge loss in the industry. On one end, any studio that’s been shut down means less people gainfully employed to make video games. But on top of that, this was still the same Arkane Austin that helped make the Dishonored games, as well as the latest reboot of Prey. Microsoft and Zenimax have not shared more details on why they made this decision, but it’s just one that we will have to live with now.
One detail that Microsoft had to address for consumers was Redfall’s Bite Back Edition. This was essentially the game’s version of a digital Deluxe Edition. It bundled the base game with one additional “throwback” outfit for each of the four’s player characters, a laser beam multi-weapon skin, a tactical knife stake weapon attachment, and the Redfall Hero Pass, which came with the promise to play as two more additional characters.
As reported by Windows Central, Microsoft has started giving out refunds for consumers who bought the Bite Back Edition and other DLC. In this case, the content was not made yet, since Arkane Austin didn’t have to have the content ready for launch for a digital version. Gamers received the full amount they paid for the game, as compensation for no longer receiving the content.
This does not make everything good for the devs, but at least it is the right thing to do for the consumers. And it would seem that the whole thing has become a harsh lesson for Microsoft they have to take to heart, for the future of their gaming division and its developers.
