Microsoft: Redfall delivering "good" engagement on Xbox Game Pass

Microsoft says Redfall is seeing "good play" on Xbox Game Pass despite an underwhelming debut.

The Xbox Game Studios title launched on May 1, 2023, to near-universal criticism due to technical issues and design choices that struggled to coalesce.

The backlash resulted in Xbox boss Phil Spencer issuing an apology to players and conceding the title had "quality issues" that needed to be addressed by developer Arkane Austin.

Now, speaking to Axios, Xbox Game Studios chief Matt Booty has echoed those remarks, and says the company failed to manage expectations about what sort of benchmarks the project needed to hit as a first-party release.

"I feel accountable that we could have done a better job with Arkane," he added. Despite what's evidently been a challenging period for both Microsoft and Arkane Austin, Booty indicated the title is finding players thanks to Xbox Game Pass, and said the studio will be given the chance to right some wrongs.

Redfall updates

"It was a miss, but how much of a miss?” he added. “I want to support [the team] to be able to keep working to deliver the game they had in mind. They are hard at work on updates and continued content for Redfall."

Microsoft recently attempted to course correct with an impressive Xbox Game Showcase that featured looks at first-party projects including Fable, South of Midnight, Avowed, Forza Motorsport, and Starfield.

Both Forza and Starfield remain on track to arrive this year, and Microsoft will be hoping the pair can provide some proof that it's long-touted first-party renaissance has finally begun by hitting the ground running.