Highlights
- Redfall, the squad-based vampire shooter, has experienced a significant drop in concurrent players on Steam, reaching as low as three players in the past month.
- The game's poor reception at launch, combined with negative reviews and declining player numbers, has disappointed fans and raised concerns about the game's future.
- The lack of players and difficulty finding companions could result in a vicious cycle, leading to the gradual death of the game if player numbers don't improve. Arkane Studios needs to take action soon to prevent a bleak future for Redfall.
Redfall, the vampire-themed shooter built around squad-based combat and cooperation, has seen its concurrent players on Steam drop dramatically, reaching just three players at one point in the past month. The latest title from developer Arkane Studios marked a departure from its usual types of releases, and it received a poor reception at launch. Negative reviews and quickly dropping player-numbers has disappointed fans who were excited about the game and seems to have the Redfall developer getting back to its roots for its next title.
While updates have been released since launch, and Arkane hasn't given up on Redfall yet, the first impression has certainly taken a toll on the game. Even as Arkane Studios and publisher Bethesda have promised improvements, some have seemingly written off their efforts entirely and moved on. This is clearly impacting concurrent player count.
This week, the number of concurrent players of Redfall on Steam dropped, at one point, to just three players. This doesn't appear to be an anomaly as, over the past month, the number of concurrent players has never exceeded double-digits. So, while three players is certainly a low point, it's not a significant departure from recent trends.
This new low-point should be worrying to both Arkane Studios and Bethesda. It has been noted that Redfall's world can be lonely when playing solo, so it's important that players can regularly find others to join them. If these numbers don't improve, Redfall could find itself in a vicious cycle as more players drop out because they struggle to find companions. This could lead to the gradual death of the game due to a continuously shrinking player base.
An Xbox executive has called Redfall criticism tough love, but it's hard to argue against the numbers. Even after updates and improvements, this co-op shooter has lost most of its players in less than six months with no signs that this will improve in the future. Unless Arkane Studios takes tangible action soon, Redfall could face a bleak future.
Co-op games like Redfall, Left 4 Dead, and The Division depend on a passionate group of players to create a community and ensure newcomers can get the most from the team-based mechanics. The current plight of Arkane Studios shows the risks developers take when releasing such titles. A game that can attract players can build on its success to draw even more fans. A game that doesn't, however, can see its end before it even has a chance to get going.
Redfall is out now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: PCGamesN