Bethesda Softworks publishing head Pete Hines has reassured players that Arkane isn’t giving up on Redfall, despite its lukewarm reception on launch earlier this year. In fact, he’s confident it will be a good game people want to play on Game Pass ten years from now.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Hines answered a question about how publisher Bethesda is changing as a result of the response to Redfall by explaining that the publisher has plenty of experience with games not going the way it had hoped.
“We are the same company that has had launches that didn’t go the way we wanted, and we don’t quit or abandon stuff just because it didn’t start right,” he said. “The Elder Scrolls Online’s PC launch was not flawless but we stuck with it. Now it’s like this insanely popular multiplatform. It’s the same with Fallout 76. Redfall is no different for us.
“Okay, we didn’t get the start we wanted, but it’s still a fun game… and we’re going to keep working on it. We’re going to do 60fps. We’re going to get it to be a good game because we know, as a first-party studio, Game Pass lives forever. There will be people ten years from now who are going to join Game Pass, and Redfall will be there.
Earlier this year, Bethesda promised that the 30fps capped Redfall would receive an update at a later time with a 60fps performance mode added. In June, Redfall got its first major patch that included gameplay, AI, UI, multiplayer, combat, and other incremental improvements, but was still missing the 60fps upgrade. No word yet on when the next patch will be, or what it might entail.
We gave Redfall a 4/10 at launch, criticizing its bland missions, “boneheaded enemies,” and numerous technical issues. The game was widely panned by critics and players at launch and reportedly had a deeply troubled development. Redfall’s launch struggles ultimately resulted in executives like Phil Spencer and Matt Booty issuing statements about Xbox’s own role in its weak release.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.