Redfall was going to release on PS5, but Microsoft cancelled it

It seems like Redfall was going to be released on all major current gen hardware at one point, but the PS5 version was cancelled after Microsoft purchased Bethesda.

This was revealed by Harvey Smith, creative director of the game in Arkane Studios, during an interview with IGN France. “We were acquired by Microsoft and it was change with a capital C,” said the director. “They came in and they said ‘no PlayStation 5, we’re focusing on Xbox, PC, and the Game Pass’.”

The studio hasn’t been shy about the timeframe of Redfall development: the process began about a year before the acquisition was announced, so it’s not entirely surprising to find out that there was indeed plans for a PS5 version of the game. After all, Arkane was primarily a studio focused on delivering its games on multiple platforms, and had previously worked with PlayStation to release Deathloop as a timed console exclusive. But the decision was still made by Microsoft and Xbox, and according to Smith it might have been a benefit.

“It's not very serious, it's even a good decision I think,” he said about the cancelled version. “It helps to support Game Pass and have one less platform to worry about, one less complexity.” The change in management was also well received by the Arkane Studios, since becoming an Xbox Studio means that they had a guaranteed release thanks to Game Pass, which could allow Redfall to become their biggest game yet.

“Game Pass has a ton of players, it could become our biggest game thanks to 30 million, where I can't remember the exact number, of subscribers.“

Not a great revelation for Microsoft

While the decision can be seen as a good trade-off for Arkane in hindsight, it’s certainly a controversial statement for Microsoft considering its situation with the Activision/Blizzard acquisition. Currently defending the purchase in several courts around the world, and with Sony accusing them of monopoly and the possibility of manipulating the market by converting huge multi-platform franchises like Call of Duty into Xbox exclusives, this could be seen by the organizations judging the situation as a primary example of what could happen in the future.

Source | IGN France