New Report Details Why Xbox Exclusive Redfall Had a Disastrous Launch

Redfall, the latest Xbox exclusive game from Arkane Studios released on May 2 was one of the worst-reviewed games of the year. The critical reception was so bad that Xbox head Phil Spencer had to apologize and promise (again) to do better to deliver the blockbuster exclusive games Xbox fans have been waiting for.

In a lengthy report published on Bloomberg today, video games journalist Jason Schreier detailed what went wrong during Redfall’s development. And according to Arkane Studios employees who talked to him, the studio was understaffed, the project was poorly managed, and Microsoft’s hands-off approach following its acquisition of parent company Bethesda didn’t help.

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Redfall is the first Xbox-exclusive game from Bethesda after Microsoft completed its acquisition of the company in 2021. It’s a co-op shooter designed as a live service game, a genre that developer Arkane Studios didn’t much have experience with. The studio previously received praise for its immersive solo games such as Dishonored, Prey, and Deathloop.

According to the report, the development of Redfall started back in 2018, but over time, developers working on the game became confused with what management really wanted from the game. “Staff members said that, over time, they grew frustrated with management’s frequently shifting references to other games, such as Far Cry and Borderlands, that left each department with varying ideas of what exactly they were making,” Schreier wrote.

As morale within the studio started to tank, many employees left and among those who remained, some were secretly hoping that Microsoft acquiring Bethesda would mark a new beginning. “The acquisition gave some staff at Arkane hope that Microsoft might cancel Redfall or, better yet, let them reboot it as a single-player game, according to sources familiar with the production. Instead, Microsoft maintained a hands-off approach,” explained Schreier.

Microsoft officially announced Redfall during its Xbox and Bethesda game showcase in June 2021, and the game was later announced as coming in the summer of 2022. However, it was eventually delayed to early 2023, and then to May 2, 2023. Unfortunately, the game that launched last month was a buggy mess, and the Xbox Series X|S version didn’t support 60FPS at launch despite all marketing videos showing the game running at a smooth 60FPS.

Many critics also pointed out the emptiness of the game’s open world, the terrible enemy AI, and the repetitive gameplay. “Several people who played the game in 2021 were shocked to see how little ultimately changed,” according to Schreier.

Xbox’s Phil Spencer previously said that Arkane Studios will continue to work on Redfall and add new content to the game. However, most Arkane Studios employees are probably ready to move on to better things.

Redfall certainly added more fuel to the “Xbox has no games” narrative, and the game’s disastrous launch is putting more pressure on Microsoft’s other internal studios. Xbox fans are getting tired of waiting for great exclusive games, and Microsoft knows that it has to raise the bar with its Xbox games showcase on June 11. Startfield, one of the most-anticipated games of the year will also have its own showcase after Microsoft’s presentation.

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