Zombies were getting old, so now we have vampires. Redfall, named after the fictional town of Redfall, Massachusetts, has been overrun by a vampiric cult. You play as a team of four characters (or one of the four, if you do co-op) in the adventure to restore the town to normal before it’s too late. It’s an open-world shooter with diverse characters, each with its own backstory and specialty. Expect mad scientists, cultists, and supernatural-related hijinks. No Elder Scrolls, though.
Here’s what we know so far about Arkane Austin’s latest shooter.
When will Redfall come out?
Redfall has been delayed to the first half of 2023. In May 2022, Bethesda informed fans that they wouldn’t be seeing Redfall or Starfield as early as they thought.
“The teams at Arkane Austin (Redfall) and Bethesda Game Studios (Starfield) have incredible ambitions for their games, and we want to ensure that you receive the best, most polished versions of them,” the company wrote in its statement. It followed up with a date for Starfield during the Xbox and Bethesda joint showcase but still doesn’t have one for Redfall.
Redfall was originally supposed to release in the summer of 2022. Bethesda announced it last summer during E3 2021. It wasn’t clear how far development was at that point, though. Either way, it makes sense that it would need more time. In theory, it should be out within 12 months of the June 12, 2022 Xbox showcase.
Is there a Redfall trailer?
The Redfall announcement trailer aired at E3 2021 during the Xbox and Bethesda showcase. It’s mostly a cinematic about what the game is about rather than a gameplay reveal but still captures what to expect from the supernatural-themed shooter.
A squad of weapon-toting vampire hunters starts off in a wrecked supermarket, then backtracks to the disastrous situation that led them there in the first place. We see bazookas, stabby weapons, magical elevators on display and a sneak peek at bloodsucking villains.
Arkane Austin revealed the gameplay trailer during the next year’s Xbox and Bethesda showcase. This trailer takes the player on a tour through the eyes of the playable characters, each of which has their own special abilities like telekinesis, invisibility gadgets, and robot friends.
What is the Redfall story?
Redfall revolves around a town where everyone has either become a vampire, joined a cult to become a vampire, or died (probably because of a vampire). Thanks to an experiment gone wrong, vampires have taken over the titular town of Redfall, Massachusetts. These scientifically spawned beings have blocked out the sun and even the water from reaching the shore.
The vampires are apparently not as supernatural as one would think. As per the official lore, they came from an experiment that enabled the transformation of its subjects into bloodsucking monsters. The experiment also resulted in vampires with differing abilities, some of which are more powerful than average. Players also have to fend off human cultists worshipping the vampiric threat.
Redfall inhabitants don’t have access to the outside world and only a handful of survivors are left to fight off the vampiric (and human) enemies threatening the town.
What is Redfall gameplay like?
Redfall is an open-world co-op FPS. Its main draw lies in the option between single-player and multiplayer, where you can either juggle a team of four characters by yourself or form a team with up to three friends. There are four total characters that the player will deal with in their vampire hunt.
What characters are in the Redfall roster?
Redfall has four main heroes with different kits to take advantage of depending on the situation.
- Devinder Crousley - A supernatural creature specialist. He spent years toying with tech to hunt the supernatural, which finally became relevant when Redfall went dark. His research instincts are still intuned to documenting the gang’s journey.
- Layla Ellison - A biomedical engineering student who moved from Wisconsin to study at a local university. She signed up for a medical trial at the Aevum Therapeutics research facility that apparently imbued her with telekinetic powers.
- Remi de la Rosa - A combat engineer who has a history of helping those in need as part of an elite Navy rescue unit. Her knowledge and quick wit often save her and her allies on the front lines. She’s also got a robot friend.
- Jacob Boyer - An ex-military sharpshooter who was sent to Redfall as part of an elite private security force. He was forced to go solo due to “dark circumstances.” Even now, this lone wolf prefers shooting from the shadows.
We see each of them in action in the Redfall gameplay trailer. Their diverse backgrounds match the weapons and abilities that make up their kits and complement their peers.
Are Redfall and Elder Scrolls 6 related?
No, but it was a running joke at one point. Elder Scrolls has a similarly named area called “Red Guard,” which made fans think that the new title would be related to Elder Scrolls 6. They later found that Redfall was its own thing when it was officially announced at E3. There was even some drama that came out of it like what to do with the “Elder Scrolls Redfall” subreddit.
Redfall is currently in development. It launches exclusively for Xbox Series X|S and PC in the first half of 2023. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have Day One access.
