‘Redfall’ Creative Director Says PlayStation 5 Version Was Cancelled By Microsoft Following ZeniMax Media/Bethesda Acquisition
The Creative Director for Redfall has revealed it had a PlayStation version in development, until Microsoft requested it cancelled.
In an interview with IGN France (translation via the English version of IGN, plus additional translation via DeepL), Creative Director Harvey Smith discussed the aftermath of Microsoft acquiring ZeniMax Media in 2020. Alongside Bethesda Softworks, the game’s publisher, Redfall developer Arkane Studios is a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media.
The buyout reportedly took place in the middle of development. “We got bought by Microsoft and that was a huge sea change,” Smith reveals. “They said, ‘no PlayStation 5. Now we’re gonna do Game Pass, Xbox, and PC.”
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Rather than being frustrated of work going to waste, Smith explains Arkane Studios was happy to do so. “It’s not a big deal, it’s actually a good decision I think. [It helps to] support Game Pass and have one less platform to worry about, one less complexity.”
“Game Pass has a ton of players, it could become our biggest game thanks to the 30 million,” Chris justified, but admitting he “can’t remember the exact number, [of] subscribers.”
The revelation is sure to raise eyebrows at Sony, who has been hotly debating with Microsoft over their attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the Call of Duty franchise. Various barbs thrown before the press, along with US, UK, and EU regulators.
Microsoft offered Call of Duty titles to continue appearing on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles for, at the very least, 10 years. Sony would then hit back, insisting Microsoft would be capable of releasing poor-quality versions of those games on PlayStation.
Bethesda titles exclusive to Xbox consoles (along with PC) include Hi-Fi Rush and Starfield, while Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop still launched on PlayStation 5.
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