Harvey Smith, former creative director at Arkane Austin and now CEO of Black Pony Immersive, has stated that Arkane "never should have been working on a games-as-a-service game" in reference to the critically panned vampire shooter Redfall.
Redfall, a rare misstep for the studio known for its immersive sims like Dishonored and Prey, was developed by a team of highly regarded designers. The game's poor reception ultimately contributed to Microsoft's decision to shut down Arkane Austin a year after its release, resulting in nearly 100 layoffs. Even after the studio closure, the former development team briefly reunited to complete and release Redfall's final update, version 1.4, after reportedly "begging" Microsoft to allow them to finish it.
"There were highlights, and if you play the fully patched version, 1.4, some people get something out of it," Smith commented, noting that the final patch included narrative elements that explored themes of love and community. He also touched on the external pressures surrounding Redfall's launch, including the decision to cancel a planned PS5 version after Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda, which led to the game being used as a talking point in the console war. Additionally, the initial absence of a performance mode for the Xbox version at launch, a decision made to ensure a stable framerate, drew significant criticism.
Ben Horne, executive producer at Black Pony and a former Redfall developer, echoed Smith's sentiments, attributing Redfall's struggles to the team working on a genre outside their core expertise. "Getting back to what we do best was the number one priority," Horne stated, confirming that Black Pony Immersive, founded by Smith, is focused on returning to the studio's roots in creating immersive simulation games. The studio has not yet revealed its first project.