Despite Microsoft officially disbanding Arkane Austin, one final update for Redfall remains in the works. As announced on Twitter / X, the team behind the game are still working on Game Update 4, with this set to add in offline mode, single player pausing, revamped Neighbourhood and Nest systems, and more to be revealed. No firm release date has been set, but Arkane has promised new details soon.
Of the features revealed, it’s likely offline mode will be the most tantalising for players. Since the game’s launch, there have been ample calls for Redfall to be available as a single player game, without the need to connect online. It can already be played as a solo game, but all players still need an online connection to maintain access.
Calls to remedy this situation grew following the announcement of Arkane Austin’s closure, as the future of the game looked uncertain. As many pointed out, without the direct support of Arkane Austin, the game’s servers were likely to close, rendering the entire game impossible to play.
Read: Microsoft closes Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and other Bethesda studios
With the announcement of offline mode, Arkane has now addressed these concerns, and promised Redfall will remain playable, even if its servers are to be closed down in the coming years.
What about the Redfall roadmap?
Arkane Austin was unceremoniously shut down by Microsoft in early May 2024. As revealed on Twitter / X, it does appear there’s a skeleton crew still working on the game’s final update, which will “future proof” it, and ensure it no longer requires active servers to run as a single player game.
This will be the definitive final update for the game, with no further updates planned for the future. Those who are currently working on the game are likely to be redistributed to other Microsoft-owned studios once the project is complete.
What that means is that Redfall‘s previously announced roadmap has been cancelled, and new content will not be produced. Initially, Arkane Austin had planned to release two new heroes for the game, each with their own “unique powers and gameplay” as well as other DLC additions to keep the vampire-hunting action going. Neither of these characters will be released as planned.
In the wake of this announcement, Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios promised “make-good offers” to players who purchased the Redfall Bite Back Edition, which included a special Hero Pass. Those in this boat can apply to get their “make-good” offer on the Bethesda website.
For everyone else, it should be a brief wait to find out when the final Redfall update launches. Stay tuned to the Redfall Twitter / X account for the latest news.
