Redfall Developers Are Working To Remove Always Online Feature

When Redfall was unveiled, quite a few fans were excited to try the game out. It looks like a Left 4 Dead-style game but with a focus on vampires. This game continued to excite more fans about its upcoming arrival as more marketing materials started to make their way out into the public. But there was one feature that turned fans away quickly. If you recall, a feature would be incorporated into the game, which required players to always be connected online. So regardless if you wanted to enjoy this game as a solo experience, the title was advertised as requiring online connectivity.

That might actually be changing now. It seems that the developers have considered fan feedback over the always online connectivity and are seeking to rectify this. This news comes from Eurogamer, who managed to speak to the game director, Harvey Smith. During their conversation, the topic of fan feedback regarding online requirements to enjoy the game came up. According to Harvey Smith, developers could look into this feedback in two ways.

For one, developers could press on. There are a ton of players that are actively online regardless of having the game is connected or not. In fact, some players are frustrated when their console or digital client is not connected online, to begin with. But going that route would lack empathy. Instead, it’s best to look at the feedback from players who have a problem with online connectivity. In addition, not everyone has the solid bandwidth to enjoy online gameplay. For whatever reason, offline gameplay is more of a viable option for these players.

We listen. And we have already started work to address this in the future. We have to do some things like encrypt your save games and do a bunch of UI work to support it. And so we are looking into – I’m not supposed to promise anything – but we’re looking into and working actively toward fixing that in the future.

Harvey Smith – Eurogamer

So while they can’t make any promises, Harvey Smith noted that the development team is actively working to bring this offline feature into the game. It’s not certain if we’ll see this feature implemented in the game prior to its release or if we’ll see the update land on the game later on after its launch. But there is a good reason why the developers wanted an always online connected gameplay experience. 

The interview went on to say that developers gained valuable knowledge for the game when players were connected online. For example, they can see where there are issues within the game that require necessary fixes. So rather than wait for feedback to return to the developers, the studio can sit in and watch where problems arise within the game. 

Currently, Redfall is set to launch on May 2, 2023. When the game does release, you’ll find it available for the PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Game Pass platforms.