The development of Redfall, Arkane’s latest multiplayer shooter, was plagued with issues like unclear direction, frequent attrition, and a lack of staff.
That’s according to a new report by Bloomberg, speaking to over a dozen anonymous developers who worked on the game.
Microsoft had billed Redfall as its next big exclusive game, but it ultimately proved a critical and commercial failure.
The report states that Bethesda parent company ZeniMax was encouraging studios to develop ‘games as a service’ that could generate revenue post-release, all while it sought to sell itself.
As such – and following the commercially unsuccessful Prey – bosses at Arkane wanted to create a more broadly appealing game, which emerged as Redfall.
However, Redfall was pitched to staff as a “multiplayer Arkane game”, with some staff confused as to how that incorporated the ‘immersive sim’ elements the studio was known for. The game’s directors Harvey Smith and Ricardo Bare have been accused by staff of not providing clear direction.