‘Redfall’ devs give a masterclass on how to shut down live service games

Video games come and go, as do the developers who make them. While Bethesda’s open world co-op shooter, Redfall, didn’t quite get the reception many had hoped (okay, it was a colossal failure), there’s still a lesson to be learned. Now, as the defunct Arkane Austin prepares its swan song with one last Redfall update, the studio has shown the entire gaming industry how to properly shut down a live service game.

Arkane’s rise and Red-fall

The story of Redfall is a modern-day gaming tragedy. When it was first unveiled, there was a heap of excitement buzzing around a brand new IP from publisher Bethesda. Blending elements of Back 4 Blood with Borderlands, the initial trailers looked promising. However, all the hype was sucked out of the room the moment Redfall launched, revealing it to be a hollow shell of what was shown. The game was a complete mess, with buggy performance, inferior enemy AI, and boringly limited loot.

Things were so bad, the legendary developer behind the game, Arkane Austin — the same group responsible for critically acclaimed titles like Prey, Dishonored, and Deathloop — was given the ultimate boot for Redfall’s sorry state one year later.