Microsoft Now Issuing Redfall Refunds Following Arkane Austin Closure

[DogOfViolence]

Microsoft is now issuing Redfall refunds a month after it announced the end of development, the cancelation of DLC, and the closure of developer Arkane Austin.


In May 2024, Microsoft shocked the video game world when it closed a number of Bethesda studios including Redfall maker Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks. On Redfall, Microsoft promised a "make-good" offer for those who had bought the now-canceled Hero DLC, which was set to add new characters to the game.

Players who bought the Hero Pass as part of the premium Bite Back Edition or the premium Bite Back upgrade can now secure a refund via Bethesda’s customer support website. Digital purchases made via the Xbox Store, Microsoft Store, Epic Games Store, or Steam will be refunded back to the original form of payment automatically. If your purchase was not from these retailers, you’ll need to submit a ticket to get a refund. If you bought physical, you’ll need to contact your retailer to request a refund or store credit for the Bite Back DLC.


Redfall received its final update at the end of May, marking a disastrous year for the co-op focused vampire game. It 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. Last year, then-Bethesda Softworks publishing head Pete Hines reassured players that Arkane wouldn’t give up on Redfall, insisting he was confident it would be a good game people wanted to play on Game Pass 10 years from now.

In our 4/10 review, IGN said: "Redfall is a bafflingly bad time across the board. Plagued with bland missions, boneheaded enemies, and repeated technical problems, Redfall simply wasn't ready for daylight in this state."

Sometimes I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love, but decisions that somebody needs to go make.

Speaking at IGN Live, Phil Spencer addressed the studio closures, insisting: “I have to run a sustainable business inside the company and grow, and that means sometimes I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love, but decisions that somebody needs to go make.”

The closure of Arkane Austin comes amid one of the toughest times for the video game industry in recent memory, with thousands of staff losing their jobs this year alone. Significant cuts at Sony, Microsoft, and other publishers have hit hard alongside an ever-growing list of studio shutdowns.


Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].