According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Arkane Austin, the studio behind games like Prey and Redfall, was in the process of pitching a new single-player immersive sim game before its closure. The studio had expressed interest in returning to its roots in the immersive sim genre, potentially with a new entry in the Dishonored series.
The closure of Arkane Austin, along with three other studios, was announced on Tuesday. Xbox president Matt Booty reportedly informed staff that the closure was not related to the performance of Redfall, the studio’s multiplayer vampire shooter.
Jill Braff, head of ZeniMax studios, expressed hope that the closure would allow the company to focus on fewer, larger projects. However, the news has been met with disappointment, with Arkane Lyon boss Dinga Bakaba describing it as “a gut stab” in a public social media post.
Arkane Austin’s final game, Redfall, has been officially abandoned, with plans for its ‘Hero Pass’ DLC cancelled. The closure of the studio marks the end of an era for the team and raises questions about the future of the immersive sim genre within the gaming industry.
