Redfall, the upcoming co-op FPS from the studio that brought us Prey and Dishonored, is on its way to release this year – so get your garlic ready.
Arkane Austin’s new IP sees you battling vampires in a post-apocalyptic open-world setting gleefully dipped in a retro horror aesthetic. But you don’t have to face these patches alone (unless you want to), as Redfall will allow you to team up with up to three other players as you aim to uncover why these toothy creatures are there in the first place.
You’ll be able to choose from four heroes, each with their own unique abilities that complement each other in a variety of ways, and you’ll have access to an array of vampire-hunting weapons that would put Buffy to shame.
Are you ready to sink your teeth into Arkane’s co-op shooter? Read on for everything we know about Redfall so far.
Redfall: Cut to the chase
- What is this? A cooperative first-person shooter from Arkane Studios
- When can I play? first half of 2023
- What can I play on? Xbox Series X | S and PC
Redfall release date and platforms
Redfall is set to release in the first half of 2023 for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.
It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass on Day One. Although it will bypass the last-gen Xbox One, anyone who hasn’t upgraded to Microsoft’s latest console can access it through Xbox Cloud Gaming as well (provided you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, that is).
Arkane’s co-op shooter was initially slated for “summer 2022” but Bethesda announce (Opens in a new tab) In May 2022, the co-op shooting was delayed until the “first half of 2023”. The announcement also revealed that Starfield has been delayed. According to Bethesda, these delays were because the teams at Arkane Austin and Bethesda Game Studios have “incredible ambitions for their games, and we want to ensure you get their best, most polished releases.”
Redfall Trailers
latest trailer
The latest trailer for Redfall, titled Into the Night, was released in October 2022 – just in time for Halloween. This trailer highlights some of the blood-sucking vamps we’ll encounter in Arkane’s co-op shooter, including the “sneaky Angler to the ever-watchful Watcher.” Check it out below.
More trailers
We’ve included some major Redfall trailers throughout this article but you can find all of the Redfall trailers released so far on Bethesda’s official YouTube channel. (Opens in a new tab).
Redfall story and setting
The Redfall website gives us a brief rundown of the game’s story, setting, and the larger-than-life characters that live in the world.
The vampire enemies in the game are actually science experiments gone wrong. These creatures have cut off Redfall City from the rest of the world by blocking out the sun’s rays.
The vampires are joined by a human faction that worships them, as seen in the first trailer. As such, shoot-’em-up battles often seem to have us dealing with both — and perhaps more — types of enemy simultaneously.
Redfall game
Redfall is a story-driven, action-packed first-person shooter that chooses from four playable heroes, each with their own unique personalities and abilities, to take on the vampire. These abilities can be upgraded as you progress and you will be able to try out different game styles and loadouts as well. Here are the four characters you can choose from – and their description according to Bethesda:
- Layla Ellison: A biomedical engineering student who trained at a research facility, where something went wrong, causing her to have extreme telekinetic abilities.
- Jacob Boyer: Ex-military sniper turned private contractor. The strange events in Redfall have left Jacob with a mysterious vampire eye and a spectral raven not far from his side.
- Remy de la Rosa: A remarkable female combat engineer who has spent her life on the front lines. With the help of her robot kit, Bribón, she is determined to help save the survivors of Redfall.
- Defender Crosley: An aspiring cryptozoologist and inventor. Armed with weapons of his own making, he is on a mission to prove himself.
According to the official website (Opens in a new tab)Redfall will seamlessly integrate single-player and multiplayer options, allowing the player to venture into the dark alone or team up with up to three friends in four-player co-op.
The use of the word “smoothly” refers to the possibility of implementing a drop co-op system in Redfall, allowing players to join another person’s game without having to drop back to the main menu. Arkane has confirmed that when playing co-op, players will be able to play as any character, regardless of whether a team member has already chosen them. This means that you can all play as Layla, for example, if you wish. For players who prefer playing solo, the official website states that you can build your characters around playing alone, and satisfy both.
According to Bethesda, the types of vampires you’ll encounter in Redfall include “sneaky vampires that grab you and separate you from your team”, “massive vampires capable of tearing you and your team apart” and “Godlike vampires powerful enough to eclipse the sun”.
You don’t just have to worry about vampires. These vamps have developed a small army of cultists, which the Redfall website describes as “well-armed and willing to die for vampires.” After establishing bases and patrol routes across this island, you will need to be careful.
The Redfall website also states that the game’s open world will be “constantly changing”, and will be “a setting that reacts to your choices and actions”. Between the communal rules and the “quirky psychic spaces” called Nests, there’s a lot to take care of before the island is safe again.
Redfall news and rumors
How is Redfall similar to other Arkane games?
During the Xbox Games Extended Showcase in 2022, Bethesda’s Pete Hines outlined the similarities and differences between Redfall and developer Arkane’s previous work. In particular, Hines explained that although Redfall has co-op elements, there is still an interesting single-player experience.
“On the surface, it’s a first-person shooter that you can play alone or with up to four players, and so, you know, you might say right away that it’s not a single-player game, so it has to be very different,” Haynes said. “And don’t get me wrong, there are very different ways but as people play the game, and even as they see more of the game, I think they’ll start to see all these things about Arkane that they love and appreciate.”
“If you want to play a game on your own and have a great Arkane story, you can do just that in Redfall but you can also do things you weren’t able to do in Arkane, like try it out with friends and discover how the whole can become more than the sum of the parts.” , Like it runs from each character’s ability,” Heinz continued. “I think the more people appreciate it, you’ll almost want to try playing Redfall in two ways. You might want to play it alone a little bit, play with others, and it’s a game that lets you do either or both of those things, however you see fit.”
Comparisons to Left 4 Dead
During the Xbox Games Extended presentation, Bethesda’s Pete Hines also addressed comparisons between Redfall and co-op shooters like Left 4 Dead.
“If you watch, well, combat footage, you can look at Left 4 Dead or Back 4 Blood or any of those things and go ‘Oh, I see multiple characters facing off against a bunch of enemies so it’s the same game,'” Haynes said. It’s going to be a disservice, and that all the things that happen between the combat as well as the combat itself, and the combination of different skills and abilities the way you do it… those are the things that Arkane does bring that extra special element that makes their games so engaging.”