Redfall Release Date: Platforms, Gameplay, And Everything We Know So Far

Redfall is the upcoming title from industry veterans Arkane, a developer known for its Dishonored series, the Prey reboot and more recently Deathloop, but they seem to be taking a different route with their upcoming game, as it's more similar to a vampire-filled Left 4 Dead. 

Redfall looks as though it will continue Arkane's legacy of interesting gameplay ideas but for the first time they are jumping into multiplayer, as well as having a completely open world. 

Redfall was initially revealed during E3 2021 with a cinematic trailer that displayed the game's overall concept while highlighting the cooperative elements style. The game's website offers some key information. However, if you need a full breakdown of everything you should know about Redfall, read on.

What is the Redfall Release Date?

During the Xbox Developer Direct on January 25, Arkane revealed that Redfall will release on May 2nd 2023. 

Redfall Trailers

The first Redfall trailer debuted at the Xbox conference during E3 2021 and was a cinematic trailer that highlighted the general premise of the game and the playable characters. In it, we see the four characters investigating some cult activity in the town, before being caught and forced into a fight with vampires and their seemingly human soldiers. 

There’s a comedic tone that brings some levity to the seriousness and horror of the vampires that is shown through the characters' banter, reminiscent of Left 4 Dead and the more recent Back 4 Blood. This was emphasised in some of the more recent trailers like the official gameplay reveal from the 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Games showcase. 

We also see some of the unique abilities the characters possess, such as Layla who uses telekinesis to aid her allies' mobility, and Remi who has a little robot that can incapacitate enemies. 

The aforementioned gameplay reveal trailer showed off the first-person combat against the vampires and humans, highlighting the use of guns in both close-quarters and long-range combat. The vampires seemed quite tanky, and many needed to be finished off with a well-placed headshot, or a stake to the heart. There was also a flare gun that made short work of them.

This trailer also showed off some of the stealth gameplay, and the different types of vampires you'll encounter, which is where some of the Left 4 Dead inspiration shines through. Another trailer gave a much deeper dive into these vampire types where we learnt some of their names, like the Watchers, who spy from high vantage points and act as alarms for other vampires.

Redfall Launch Trailer

The most recent trailer for Redfall is all action, showing off all of the characters, their abilities as well as some of the enemies we will have to go up against in Redfall. The trailer also highlights a run of controllers Xbox are producing to celebrate to launch of the game as well the Bite Back edition of the game. 

What is included in the Redfall Bite Back Edition? 

The Bite Back edition of Redfall includes: 

• Throwback outfit pack
• Redfall Hero Pass (two future heroes)
• Laser Beam Multi-weapon skin 
• Tactical knife stake weapon attachment 

Redfall Gameplay and Story

Redfall takes place in a small town in the state of Massachusetts that has been shut off from the world and drowned in endless darkness after a failed experiment caused a legion of bioengineered vampires to invade.

Redfall co-director, Ricardo Bare, also stated that the title will “still focus on deep worldbuilding and inventive game mechanics,” meaning it should continue Arkane’s tradition of innovative design in the AAA space.

The game will have a main story campaign which can be played in single-player, or co-operative multiplayer, along with side missions, called encounters. These are optional and can be found across the map of Redfall, with an example of a brewery which was taken under control by cultists. 

A big feature that was mentioned in the Xbox Developer Direct, was a massive enemy that the vampire gods can summon on a whim if you kill too many of the undead. This giant beast is incredibly hard to take down and is another encounter in that players can choose their own solution. 

There are randomised dungeons called nests which change every time you visit them, giving you top-tier loot and other rewards for a successful deployment. 

Redfall Platforms

As Arkane is now a part of the Xbox family due to the Bethesda acquisition, the title will be an Xbox Series X|S console exclusive. With that said, it will be released on PC at the same time as part of Xbox’s continued support of the platform, and it will also be a day-one title on Xbox Game Pass.

The game is expected to be a little more expensive than recent AAA Xbox first-party titles, as Microsoft recently confirmed it will be raising the prices of future releases.