Redfall has been one of the most high-profile gaming failures in recent memory. Arkane’s co-op first person shooter was widely panned by critics and audiences alike upon its launch in May, which was followed by Xbox boss Phil Spencer publicly apologizing for the state it had launched in. Unsurprisingly, the widespread negative reception for the game has been reflected in its commercial performance as well.
In Microsoft and Activision’s recently published public filing of findings in the ongoing legal case against the Federal Trade Commission (via Florian Mueller on Twitter), Microsoft has revealed that Redfall has “generated minimum sales”, though the company hasn’t provided any specific numbers for how much the title has sold.
Earlier this month, it was reported by developer Arkane Studios that the shooter had been played by “millions” since its release- though that isn’t necessarily indicative of how well the game is doing. For starters, that doesn’t relate to player engagement, which means it doesn’t indicate how many of the players who started playing Redfall may have stuck with it. Crucially, it’s also worth noting that with the game available via Game Pass, it could have attracted a large amount of players without having generated sales.
Following Redfall’s launch, reports emerged to shed light on its troubled development cycle, which suffered a range of issues, including the lack of a clear vision, a high rate of staff attrition, and the studio’s inability to replace those vacant positions. In fact, development was proceeding so poorly behind the scenes that Arkane allegedly hoped that Microsoft would cancel or reboot the project after it acquired the studio. Microsoft, however, chose to take a hands-off approach.
In our review of Redfall, we gave it a score of 5/10, saying, “Redfall is Arkane’s most underwhelming game to date. A fascinating setting and some remnants of the developer’s beloved gameplay formula aren’t enough to overcome the game’s numerous issues, from stiff controls and disappointingly rote design choices to lackluster storytelling and technical deficiencies.” Read the full review through here.
Earlier this month, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty said that currently, there were no plans in place to shut down Arkane Austin, the Arkane team that developed, Redfall.
Other stories have also emerged courtesy of Microsoft’s defense against the FTC’s injunction. For instance, Bethesda’s global marketing and communications SVP Pete Hines has confirmed that MachineGames’ Indiana Jones title will be exclusive to Xbox and PC.
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