Today, it was revealed that Microsoft decided to shut down three development studios under its Bethesda Softworks gaming division and merge another with ZeniMax Online Studios. One of the three teams that was completely shut down was Arkane Austin. The last game it made was the vampire-themed shooter Redfall, which launched to mixed reviews in May 2023.
While Redfall had not received a software update since November 2023, IGN is reporting via unnamed sources that the Arkane Austin team was in fact working on the next update for the game that was supposed to be released later in May. This update would have added a way to play the game completely offline.
Redfall was marketed as an always-online game when it launched, but offering an offline mode would have kept the game going even if its servers got shut down at some point in the future. Today's decision to close Arkane Austin likely means that the patch will never be released.
IGN also adds that Arkane Austin was still working on the Hero Pack DLC content, which would have added two new hero characters to Redfall. IGN says the plan was to release the Hero Pack sometime around Halloween 2024.
Bethesda has already stated that buyers of the Redfall Bite Back edition and the Hero Pass add-on will get a "credit" in the future since the DLC won't be released but details about this credit offer have yet to be revealed.
Besides Arkane Austin, Microsoft is closing down Tango Gameworks, the developers of The Evil Within, Tokyo: Ghostwire, and Hi-Fi Rush. That final game from the team ended up becoming Microsoft's most critically acclaimed first-party game that it released in 2023. Alpha Dog Games, the makers of the mobile game Mighty Doom, will also be shut down. Another Bethesda developer, Roadhouse Games, is not shutting down, but will be merging with The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios.
Microsoft has still not revealed how many people will lose their jobs as part of this latest restructuring. The company laid off 1,900 people in the gaming division in late January.
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