Xbox fans and some employees were blindsided earlier this morning when Microsoft announced a number of their studios were being shuttered, including Arkane Austin (Prey, Redfall), Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Hi-Fi Rush), Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Studios. In the hours since then, additional rumors and details about what’s going on behind the scenes with some Xbox teams have emerged.
Starting with Redfall, IGN reports that despite the game’s poor initial reception, major updates were still in the works right up until Arkane Austin's untimely demise. Reportedly, an update planned for this very month would have added the game’s long-promised offline mode. It’s unclear if this update will see the light up day, but with Redfall team pink-slipped, it seems unlikely. Another update, slated for around Halloween, would have finally added the new playable characters that were promised as part of Redfall’s Hero Pass. Microsoft and Bethesda have said those who purchased the Hero Pass will now receive a credit equal to its value.
Meanwhile, wanton leaker Jeff Grubb has also stepped in to provide an update on another long-in-development Xbox project – Perfect Dark. In development for around six years at new “AAAA” studio The Initiative, with Crystal Dynamics pitching in to help since 2021, the new Perfect Dark has largely remained sequestered in the shadows. Per Grubb, it seems the new Perfect Dark is still in a “very rough state,” with Crystal Dynamics’ help doing little to get the project back on track…
"The fallout from this [today's layoffs], been hearing [...] for years that Perfect Dark is in a rough state. Sounds like it's in a very rough state. And it doesn't sound like it's really come together in any way since then [since the game's announcement] and like Crystal Dynamics coming on board to come help on that."
Of course, take this all with a grain of salt for now, but if true, these latest reports paint an unflattering picture of an Xbox team simultaneously making knee-jerk decisions and letting projects that should have been reigned in long ago stumble along without much guidance. Perhaps it’s not surprise the higher-up Microsoft brass have looked at the situation and said, “Hey, let’s focus on Call of Duty.”
What are your thoughts on all of this? Should Microsoft have given Arkane Austin another chance? Is Perfect Dark ever going to see the light of day?
About the author: Professional writer of trivial things. Nathan has been covering games, entertainment, and online culture for over a decade with bylines at IGN, GameSpy, Cracked, Uproxx, ComicBook, and more. Joined Wccftech gaming team in 2017, and has written hundreds of game reviews and thousands of news stories since.
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