Redfall co-director Harvey Smith thinks Arkane 'never should have been working on a games-as-a-service game'

Harvey Smith, now CEO of Black Pony Immersive, reflects on Redfall as a failure that did not align with Arkane’s strengths, stating the team "never should have been working on a games-as-a-service game." Smith, who left Arkane last month, describes the project as a rare misstep for the studio, which is known for immersive sims. The game’s troubled development culminated in poor reception and the eventual shutdown of Arkane Austin, displacing nearly 100 employees.

Smith acknowledges that while Redfall had flaws, the fully patched version, 1.4, offered some redeeming qualities. He highlights a personal touch in the final update, written by co-director Ricardo Bare, exploring themes of love and community. The project also became entangled in console politics, with Sony leveraging its reception as an example of Xbox’s struggles after Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda.

Black Pony executive producer Ben Horne, who also worked on Redfall, cites multiple converging issues during the game’s release, including its $70 price and the delayed Xbox performance mode. Horne explains that the team initially withheld the performance mode to improve stability, but the delay fueled criticism over its absence at launch.

Horne emphasizes that the core issue was the team’s lack of expertise in live-service shooters, as Arkane’s strengths lie in immersive sims. Both Smith and Horne stress that returning to their core design philosophy is now the priority for Black Pony, though details about their first project remain undisclosed.