Redfall Hits Embarrassing New Low on Steam
Barely anyone is still playing Redfall on Steam.
Redfall has been nothing short of a mess since launching back in May. Developed by Arkane Austin, the game released on PC and Xbox Series X|S, where it was met with largely negative reviews. After just five months, it seems that interest in Redfall among players has evaporated. As noted by Video Games Chronicle, the game has gone down to single-digit concurrent player counts on Steam at some point every day for the last two weeks. It's gotten to the point that there are so few Redfall players that it's impossible to get a full lobby for four-player co-op during certain times of day.
It's worth noting that one example VGC cites where Redfall hit just 2 players happened at 5:20 a.m. ET. It's not unusual for games to see lessened interest during off hours, but things aren't much better during normal hours. According to SteamDB, Redfall's 24-hour peak today was just 35 players, with an all-time peak of 6,124 back in May. During a June interview with Axios, Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty questioned "how much of a miss" Redfall had actually proven to be, noting that the title had seen "good play" on Xbox Game Pass. We don't actually know how Redfall is performing on the subscription service, but the game looking like more and more of a miss as the months go by.
Has Xbox Left Redfall to Die?
Interest in Redfall hasn't been helped by the fact that Arkane hasn't given players anything to get excited about. Those that did purchase Redfall have been frustrated by the lack of transparency on post-launch content. The "Bite Back" edition of the game promised post-launch characters, and Xbox and Arkane have failed to deliver; as of this writing, there has been no timeframe offered for that content. The Bite Back edition costs $99.99, so it's easy to see why some players might be frustrated that Arkane and Xbox haven't been more candid. There has been a perception that Redfall has been left to die while focus has shifted elsewhere, and it's easy to see why some players might feel that way.
Xbox First-Party Games
Redfall has proven to be the biggest disappointment in Xbox's first-party line-up for 2023. First-party releases have been few and far between for the company, but there have been some pleasant highlights, including Hi-Fi Rush and Starfield. This month will also see the release of Forza Motorsport, which looks quite promising. If the next Forza sticks the landing, it could help Xbox end the year on a high note. Hopefully 2024 will be a better year overall for the company, with fewer stumbles like Redfall!
Are you surprised that Redfall's player counts are so low? Do you think Microsoft and Arkane have left the game to die? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
