Redfall's Final Update Before Studio Shutdown Finally Adds Offline Mode

thegamer.com:

Arkane Austin is working on a final update for its live service, Redfall. This is ahead of the studio's closure, as part of Xbox's recent wave of layoffs.

As part of this final update, Redfall will finally get an offline mode, letting fans play the game without being connected to the internet. Presumably, this means they will be able to keep enjoying the game even in the event that the servers are taken offline, although the devs have already said they will stay online for now.

The update isn't ready to roll out just yet, but Arkane Austin has given us an indication of what it will include. In the announcement, it's confirmed that we're getting the ability to pause in single-player, as well as the long-awaited offline mode. With this in mind, it looks like the studio is doing what it can to get Redfall in the best state possible before it's forced to leave it behind, following its upcoming closure.

Arkane Austin's closure was announced on May 7, alongside three other Bethesda-owned studios. As part of the “reprioritization of titles and resources”, Xbox is shutting down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Games. Even during a period full of job cuts, this wave of layoffs and studio closures took the industry by surprise, with Xbox widely criticised for the move.

Arkane Austin also developed Prey , an incredibly popular first-person shooter which launched in 2017.

The affected studios themselves may have been taken by surprise too. It was later reported that Arkane Austin was working on a pitch for a new Dishonored game, so it was presumably operating under the assumption that it had a future beyond Redfall's ongoing development.

Now, Redfall's live service ambitions are being cut short, and the game won't even be "live" anymore. In a statement on the closure, Arkane Austin reassured players that Redfall would still be online, but it remains to be seen how much longer it stays that way.