Months after Arkane Austin was shuttered, several former developers requested Microsoft's permission to return and finalize the game's 1.4 patch, which they believed would have significantly improved Redfall. Studio director Harvey Smith revealed that even after being laid off, a small group of employees asked to re-enter the office to complete the update.
Smith explained that the studio had been working on patching Redfall for a year following its critical and commercial failure. Although the game was poorly received at launch, the team had developed patch 1.4, which addressed numerous issues. "We then got laid off, but we had in the pipe version 1.4," Smith stated. "So, we went to Microsoft and said, ‘I know we don’t work here anymore, but can we please release this?’"
Microsoft granted permission for six or seven former employees to return to the building to release the patch. Smith noted that while patch 1.4 likely wouldn't have made Redfall a massive success, it represented a substantially better version of the game. Ben Horne, the former production director, described releasing the patch after being fired and the studio closing as an "achievement unlocked" in his career.
Redfall, developed by Arkane Austin, a studio known for acclaimed titles like Prey, faced widespread criticism. The game was perceived as a departure from Arkane's established style, driven by a focus on live-service elements. Smith acknowledged that the studio itself became “swept up in the games-as-a-service thing” with a naive optimism that they could replicate its success. The development was further complicated by external factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the "great resignation," which led to remote work and staff changes.
Despite the challenges and the game's ultimate fate, the effort to release patch 1.4 underscores the developers' dedication to improving Redfall. As former contributor Rick Lane noted, the update demonstrated that Arkane Austin could have potentially redeemed the game over time, a possibility left unrealized.