It’s been quite the week in the video games industry. And by that we mean it’s been brutal.
As more studios are shut down, it saddens us to say that Xbox has quietly killed off an exclusive that deserved to live longer than this.
A couple of weeks ago, we reported that Bethesda had been affected by Microsoft layoffs, however, we didn’t quite know the extent of it.
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In recent days, it’s been revealed just how devastating those layoffs are.
Seems fitting to watch the Redfall announcement trailer; for old times' sake.
One Xbox exclusive that’s been dealt a fatal blow is Redfall.
Bethesda’s Redfall was due an update to allow players to enjoy the perks of an offline mode, according to IGN.
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Sadly, now that Arkane Austin has been shut down, that’s not going to happen.
“RIP Arkane Austin. Shame that final update was pulled. We could've had offline mode,” commiserated one player.
Another remarked, “Microsoft is one of the worst things to happen to gaming.”
Given how many studios have been culled – some of which have won awards for the games created – it’s unsurprising so much disdain is aimed at Microsoft.
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Upon launch, the FPS faced much criticism; that criticism has remained, as you can see from the “mostly negative” Steam reviews.
Arguably, the reason for such a turbulent reception was due to the need to be online while you play. We all know the perils of playing online, especially if your wifi is a little iffy.
Consequently, introducing an offline mode was possibly a means to breathe new life back into the game, and maybe rewrite past wrongs.
Redfall is still available to play at the moment, but it’s future is uncertain.
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Without the new offline mode, as well as the potential for servers to be shut down, it seems that Xbox is choosing to kill this game slowly.
Topics: Xbox, Bethesda, Microsoft, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X