Arkane Studios has commented on the impact of Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax on its upcoming vampire game, Redfall. Reports have suggested that the game was originally planned for release on PlayStation 5, but that decision was reversed after the buyout. Director Harvey Smith revealed that there was a “huge sea change” for Redfall after Microsoft’s purchase of ZeniMax. This included a decision to release the game exclusively on Xbox, Game Pass, and PC.
Some gamers have criticized Microsoft for this move, arguing that it goes against their public promise of keeping Bethesda games multiplatform after the acquisition. However, Microsoft’s spokesperson has clarified that the company has not pulled any games from PlayStation. In fact, Microsoft has expanded its footprint of games on Sony’s PlayStation since its acquisition of ZeniMax. For example, Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo were PlayStation 5 exclusives that were released after the acquisition.
Microsoft’s spokesperson added that all the games that were available on PlayStation before the buyout are still available on PlayStation. Furthermore, Microsoft has continued to do content updates on PlayStation and PC. However, the spokesperson also noted that future decisions on whether to distribute ZeniMax games for other consoles will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Arkane’s director, Harvey Smith, also discussed the impact of Microsoft’s buyout on Redfall in a recent interview. He said that the buyout allowed Arkane to focus on fewer platforms since PlayStation was no longer in the mix. He added that Redfall coming to Xbox Game Pass is a big deal because it expands the game’s potential audience significantly.
Redfall launches on May 2 for Xbox Game Pass on console and PC. The game has an always-online requirement, even for its single-player mode. However, Arkane might remove this requirement at some point.
Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax has had a significant impact on the development of Redfall. The decision to release the game exclusively on Xbox, Game Pass, and PC has caused controversy among some gamers. However, Microsoft’s spokesperson has clarified that the company has not pulled any games from PlayStation. The spokesperson also emphasized that future decisions on distributing ZeniMax games for other consoles will be made on a case-by-case basis. Fans of Arkane’s games can look forward to playing Redfall on Xbox Game Pass and experiencing the studio’s unique take on the looter shooter genre.
