If you’re looking for the Redfall release date, we have all the information you need. The co-op vampire shooter comes from developer Arkane, best known for building rich, very deliberate worlds, and weaving intricate stories around their fascinating creations. This time, instead of a space station, or the clockwork city of Dunwall, they’ve focused on a small tourist town in the eastern US.
Are there vampires? Sure. A sniper with an undead eye? Check. They even have a cryptozoologist, because why not. The cast of Redfall characters is varied enough, but how will this co-op game fare when compared to Arkane’s other creations? Many have likened Redfall to co-op shooters like Left 4 Dead, although it’s more like Far Cry than the aforementioned zombie shooter. Here’s what we know about its release date, all the trailers, gameplay, and more.
Redfall release date
Announced officially during the Microsoft gameplay developer direct stream in January, the Redfall release date was May 2, 2023.
You can check out our Redfall review here. Originally slated for release in 2022, Bethesda announced that it would be delaying both Redfall and Starfield to 2023 so that fans “receive the best, most polished versions of them.”
Redfall trailers
The official announcement trailer for Redfall came in June of 2021, and it was the first glimpse we got of the quaint town from which the vampiric shooter takes its name.
A year after the official announcement trailer, we got a five-minute gameplay reveal from Bethesda. It shows a player investigating a disturbance in a church and discovering something they wish they hadn’t; chaos ensues with this trailer showing off the robust co-op elements and some character abilities.
The last trailer was released around Halloween of 2022 and gives us a taste of just how creepy the goings-on in Redfall will be. From the gallons of blood to the creepy floating undead, the sleepy harbour town of Redfall undergoes a serious transformation when its new residents take hold.
The World of Redfall trailer gives us another peek into the horrific transformation the quaint town has undergone. From autumn leaves covering the streets to untold amounts of blood lining the sidewalks.
Redfall gameplay
Redfall aims to be a game of many hats. Not only did Arkane want to craft an intricate, deep, single-player story game, but also a rewarding co-op jaunt if that’s how you choose to play. Redfall is primarily an open-world FPS game, where you can choose exactly how you want to tackle the vampire threat that has taken over your tourist town; there will be undead nests you need to eliminate, cultist strongholds to take over, and plenty of exploration in between.
Your objectives inside Psychic Spaces include but are not limited to, destroying a giant heart in a vampire nest while escaping with your lives as it collapses. Check out our Redfall preview for a taste of what’s to come.
In addition, you can open safehouses in vampire territory and work your way to liberating them. There are also Siphons that protect key areas vital to the vampire’s objective. When you’re ready to reclaim the area, you can take down one of the many Underbosses to get skulls. These skulls lead the way to encounters against Vampire gods, one of which we see emerging from a geyser with sickles for hands.
Operating as a hero shooter, you’ll have the choice between four main characters to play as, each with their own set of abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Remy, for example, uses a robot to distract enemies. Rev has an ultraviolet light that shatters petrified vampires. Jacob can tag enemies with his raven before ambushing them with his teleportation device. Layla’s lift ability sends allies sky-high to get coverage, while her Bullet Hail sends a blast of bullets back at foes, depending on how much damage her umbrella absorbs.
You can set loadouts for each character using your favourite abilities, with the addition of the deep armoury of weapons available to you as you explore the island. Guns range from standard military arms to more supernatural weapons and, of course, vampire stakes. It’s not just your gear that can be upgraded, as your character’s abilities also improve as the game progresses. For example, Layla’s lifting ability can make teammates go even higher.
According to Arkane, the weapons you find when exploring Redfall will drop with “randomised weapon traits to make each drop feel like one of an endless potential of combinations”. It seems like experimentation, and equipment expression, will be the keys to your success.
The Jacob Redfall official trailer gives us some insight into just how Jacob lost his. After a routine Bellwether op goes awry, Jacob finds himself face to face with a demon, who not only replaced his missing eye but granted him a feathered companion – one that he says just won’t leave him alone. The trailer then showcases what Jacob brings to the party; invisibility, aim hacks, and a really, really big sniper rifle.
Redfall story
Redfall used to be a lovely town. Something from the back of a postcard, even. Then the vampires moved in and apparently, tourism hit an all-time low.
The vampire threat was one made by humans, a science experiment gone wrong in the most dramatic of fashions. Whatever mishap occurred in that lab has left the residents of Redfall with an infestation of bloodsucking undead creepers, and an army of wannabe cultists to back them up.
It’s down to you, and your friends, to help rid Redfall of the vampire scourge that has driven its roots deep into the island – they’ve driven the water away and blocked out the sun, so it looks like you’re on your own. It looks like Redfall might be “slow” at times, but that’s exactly the approach Arkane wants to take.
Redfall characters
From telekinetic umbrellas to cute robots, the cast of Redfall is varied, and interesting, and should offer something for everyone. The Redfall characters are:
- Layla Ellison: An incident at her internship in the research facility has left Layla with extraordinary telekinetic abilities. She’s shown in the gameplay trailer wielding a huge, purple, magical umbrella.
- Jacob Boyer: Once part of the same military outfit that finds itself in Redfall, Jacob is now in possession of a vampiric eye and a spectral raven. Jacob prefers to keep fights at a distance, scouting ahead with his mysterious animal companion and taking enemies down before they have a chance to react.
- Remi de la Rosa: Another ex-military member of the group, Rosa also has her own companion; a cute, deadly robot named Bribón.
- Devinder Crousley: Inventor and cryptozoologist, Devinder is armed with knowledge and a vast array of homemade weaponry. Having the least experience with combat, he’s allegedly on a mission to prove himself.
Redfall news
Arkane gave us a sneak peek into the creation of Redfall’s main antagonists with this ‘Bringing Redfall to Life’ video, in which we find out that the vampires aren’t sick, they’re just really evil. It’s good news all around if you’re a Bethesda fan, and also a PC player, as Microsoft has said that three of their future games will be PC, and Xbox exclusive. Lastly, if you’re a huge fan of Arkane’s previous offers, but aren’t sure about the open-world setting of their latest game, you’re in luck, as Redfall won’t mean the end of Arkanes immersive sims.
Is Redfall on Game Pass?
Redfall was a day-one release on Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service, so anyone with an active subscription can play Redfall at no extra cost right now.
Redfall crossplay
Arkane recently confirmed in a Q&A that Redfall will support crossplay, meaning that if you want to take on the vampire hordes with your friends, you can do so regardless of how they choose to play.
There you have it, all the information on the Redfall release date, and everything in between. With any luck, Redfall will be one of the best games released this year and one of the highlights of Bethesda’s catalogue – at least until the Elder Scrolls 6 release date and Fallout 5 release date both roll around. If you absolutely can’t wait to sink your teeth into the new Arkane shooter, we have the best vampire games to tide you over, with the best PC games list also housing plenty of quality.