In a twist Microsoft has announced the closure of Arkane Austin, the studio, for the vampire themed game Redfall released in May 2023. The game received backlash for its bugs, empty world and strange AI enemies. In response Microsoft is now offering refunds to players who bought the Bite Back Edition or upgraded version of Redfall.
This decision to shut down Arkane Austin comes shortly after the studios final update for Redfall was rolled out. Despite efforts to fix some of the games issues through this update it appears that the fate of the studio was already decided. With Arkane Austin closing its doors Microsoft is unable to deliver on promised content, for the Bite Back Edition leading them to provide compensation to affected players.
Refunds for Redfall’s Bite Back Edition
As, per the updates from Windows Central, players who purchased the Bite Back Edition or upgraded Redfall on Steam and Xbox are being refunded automatically by Microsoft. On the hand those who made their purchase through Bethesda Game Studios are facing a more complex process to get their refunds.
Despite facing challenges during its launch and subsequent closure of the studio Redfall managed to attract a player community. Some players, myself included initially gave up on the game due to its issues. Later returned to discover a gaming experience. While it may not have been revolutionary Redfall provided an open world action adventure, with RPG elements and cooperative gameplay.