Redfall Director Discusses Game Challenges and Studio Shutdown

Harvey Smith, a veteran from Bethesda, recently shared his thoughts on the closure of Arkane Austin and the challenges faced by the studio’s last project, Redfall. For those who may not be familiar, Arkane Austin developed the vampire-themed game Redfall under Smith’s guidance. Unfortunately, after its launch in May 2023, the live-service title struggled to attract players, leading to Microsoft shutting down the studio a year later and significantly reducing support for the game.

In a recent appearance on a podcast, Smith remarked, “Every company makes the decisions they make for the reasons they make them.” He expressed surprise at Arkane Austin’s closure, especially considering that the broader Arkane group, which includes the Dishonored team at Arkane Lyon, had a history of creating well-received and commercially successful titles. “Creative efforts are unpredictable,” he noted, adding that his primary concern was for the newer team members who were either working on their first project or were relatively new to the industry.

Smith voiced his disagreement with the decision to close Arkane Austin, emphasizing his belief in the studio’s potential. “We were working on something super cool,” he stated. Regarding Redfall’s difficulties, he mentioned that the game’s 1.4 update—released after the announcement of the studio’s closure—introduced numerous enhancements that could have significantly improved the game’s launch experience. “If we had launched with that and then built from there, it might have been a different story,” he reflected.

The reception of Redfall was notably poor, with one review scoring it a 4 out of 10, stating, “Ultimately, Redfall is a game that should not have been released yet.” Meanwhile, Arkane Lyon is currently developing a new Blade game in collaboration with Marvel, though updates on that project have been sparse.