Redfall’s Development To Be Shut Down Following Studio’s Sunsetting

The news of Microsoft cutting down Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, and other studios has sent shockwaves across the industry in recent times, with many pointing fingers and questioning Phil Spencer’s — the CEO of Microsoft’s gaming division — authority as to what’s been happening at Xbox as of late. Redfall, the latest title developed by Arkane Austin, will no longer be in further development as well. 

Taking to X (previously Twitter), Arkane Studios on behalf of its Austin branch made that much official. Existing players who were still waiting on their DLC items to arrive, which, by the way, were promised with the game’s Bite Back Edition back when Redfall launched, now have a new resolution to look forward to.  

Today it was announced that Arkane Austin will close and development will not continue on Redfall. To everyone that has supported the work from our Austin studio over the years, thank you. Thank you for spending time in our worlds and making them your own. Arkane Lyon will continue their focus on immersive experiences where they are hard at work on their upcoming project. Redfall players who purchased the Hero Pass as part of the premium Bite Back Edition or the premium Bite Back upgrade will be eligible to receive the value of the upgrade. While there will be no further updates, Redfall’s servers will remain online for players to enjoy.”

Head over to this support page that the devs have curated and follow the provided instructions to get your refund, though I’m not sure if that link is currently updated at the time. Just keep track of it, that’s the best you can do. 

Redfall’s Brief Yet Dismaying History

Arkane Austin is perhaps best known for its work on Prey, a high-quality first-person shooter that gathered universal acclaim, so when the same folks were tasked with the development of Redfall, people were excited. Anyhow, when the game finally made landfall on May 2, 2023, it turned up broken, uninspired, and a waste of resources. 

eXputer rated the shooter 2/5 in its review, with author Moiz remarking, “Redfall is a disappointing offering from Arkane that lacks the charm, depth, and mechanics that made their previous titles so beloved.”