In an insider report about Redfall, it is stated that the employees of the development studio had hoped that Microsoft would cancel the shooter before its release.
What is Redfall? With Redfall, the developer studio Arkane, known for single-player gems like Prey and the highly acclaimed Deathloop, took a step into the world of multiplayer: Redfall became a co-op shooter where up to four players fight against numerous vampires in a small town and try to eliminate the nasty creatures.
What was the problem with Redfall? On May 2nd, the moment finally arrived, and Redfall was released after its launch had been postponed in the past. However, disillusionment quickly set in; the first reviews of Redfall were poor.
MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider also criticized some aspects of the shooter. The controls with mouse and keyboard felt wobbly and imprecise, and the shooter gameplay felt bloodless
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What kind of insider report is this? Jason Schreier is a well-known gaming journalist who is regarded as highly networked and reliable. In a new report on the American site Bloomberg.com, Schreier addressed the failed shooter Redfall and contextualized some statements made anonymously by individuals involved in the development.
The report mentions numerous employees who left Arkane during the development of Redfall, changing plans regarding the shooter, and the hope of some employees that Microsoft would cancel Redfall before its release.
What exactly does the report say? Jason Schreier writes: People who worked on Redfall told him about an unclear direction for the game, frequent staff layoffs, and a constant lack of personnel.
Some experienced employees are said to have left the studio because they had no interest in developing a multiplayer title. According to Bloomberg, 70% of the employees who contributed to Prey left the studio during the development of Redfall.
Overall, morale at Arkane is said to have suffered at that time, Schreier writes. When Microsoft acquired ZeniMax in September 2021, the parent company of Bethesda and Arkane, some employees even hoped that Microsoft would cancel Redfall or reboot it as a single-player game.
Microsoft, as we know, did not cancel Redfall. On the contrary, it was presented as the final reveal at the Xbox Showcase in June 2021 and released as a multiplayer title.
However, there was said to be a major change during development, according to Schreier. The report states that Redfall was developed in the first three years with pronounced plans for microtransactions. This changed in 2021 when live-service games were viewed more controversially. Arkane then scrapped all in-game monetization plans.
In the meantime, Xbox chief Phil Spencer has also commented on the failed Redfall release:
The Xbox chief explains why Bethesda’s new 70€ game became such a big flop
