Redfall Developer Unveils Exciting New Game: A Thrilling Return to its Roots!

Following the disappointing release of Redfall, Arkane Studios, now a part of Xbox's first-party family, may be seeking to regain its reputation with its next game. Over the years, Arkane Studios, a Bethesda studio, has become well-known for its high-quality immersive sims, with games like Dishonored and Prey receiving high praise. As Arkane Lyon impressed critics with the release of Deathloop in 2021, attention turned to Redfall, Arkane Austin's first title under the Xbox umbrella, which revolves around vampire slaying.

After being delayed from its initial release date in Summer 2022, Redfall, an open-world looter shooter developed by Arkane Studios, finally launched earlier this year. However, the game fell short due to numerous technical issues and questionable design choices. It is important to note that the decision to shift away from Arkane's traditional single-player immersive sim expertise and venture into co-op looter shooter territory with an open-world setting was made by parent company ZeniMax years prior to Xbox's acquisition of Bethesda. This strategic direction aligns with ZeniMax's focus on multiplayer-oriented games, as seen with titles like Fallout 76 and Wolfenstein: Youngblood, suggesting a move aimed at generating more profitable ventures during a period of financial struggle.

With Arkane Austin now in the process of picking up the pieces and moving forward, it appears that the studio may be returning to its previous greatness. Recently, Idle Sloth highlighted a job posting on ZeniMax's job board for a Lead Technical Engineer position at Arkane Austin. The posting specifically emphasizes the need for experience in single-player action RPGs and immersive sims, which perfectly aligns with Arkane's past work.

This shift back to the studio's strong suit of single-player immersive sims is a logical move, considering that ZeniMax is now under the stable financial umbrella of Microsoft. With the backing of Xbox, ZeniMax no longer needs its studios to pursue long-term multiplayer projects solely for ongoing profits. Instead, it can allow its studios to focus on their strengths once again. As Arkane Austin looks to the future, it will be intriguing to see if the studio can attract back some of the talented individuals who had left due to Redfall, now that the studio seems to be returning to what it excels at.

The next game from Arkane Austin, whether it be Dishonored 3, Prey 2, or a new IP, remains a mystery, and fans of the studio may have to wait several years before any information is revealed. In the meantime, as Arkane gears up for their next project, Redfall players on console are still waiting for the promised 60 FPS console patch. With three months since the game's release in August, it is possible that console players won't have to wait much longer for the much-needed performance upgrade. Redfall is currently available for PC and Xbox Series X|S platforms.