Microsoft isn’t shutting down Redfall developer Arkane Austin, says Xbox head

Arkane Austin’s Redfall It’s obviously been a critical flop, but Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty says we don’t have to worry about the studio shutting down.

When reviews began pouring in in early May for Arkane’s latest game, Redfall, a four-player cooperative vampire hunting shooter, it quickly became clear that the game wasn’t in the best shape. Our own review gave it 3/5 stars, and with so many studio closures over the last year, it would be fair to worry that Arkane Austin could be shut down for falling short of expectations. Fortunately, that’s not the case, as Booty recently clarified in an interview with Axios. When asked about fans hoping the studio stays open, Booty replied, “That’s the plan right now. They’re hard at work on updates and continued content for Redfall.”

Booty also noted that he felt he had failed to properly set expectations for what Redfall needed to be as a title of its own, saying, “I feel responsible that we could have done a better job with Arkane.” Xbox boss Phil Spencer has also taken responsibility for the state the game launched in last month, apologized to Redfall players for the game they ended up with, and promised more updates.

However, according to Booty, Redfall may not be doing as badly as he might have assumed, saying he’s getting a “good game” via Xbox Game Pass. “It was a mistake, but how much of a mistake? I want to support them so they can keep working to deliver the game they had in mind.” Of course, Booty didn’t share any specific numbers, but that’s the way it is with the streaming model these days.

A report from earlier this month shed some light on the development of Redfall, painting a very messy picture, with claims that many staff members didn’t even want to make the game, and a lack of clear direction on the project.