Redfall gets first major patch after its misfire release

Redfall, the open-world first-person shooter that launched to poor reception last month, just got its first major update today.

Notably, the patch does not add the 60 fps performance mode that was absent for Xbox players at launch. In the patch notes, developer Arkane Austin said it plans to share more information about the graphical mode soon, and to keep fixing as much as it can, as quickly as it can.

Version 1.1 brings “incremental improvements to gameplay, combat, AI, environment, stability, multiplayer, accessibility, UI, and various bug fixes,” according to the patch notes on Bethesda’s site. Arkane also calls out the following areas of improvement specifically:

Enemy AI responsiveness

Enemy encounter frequency

Vampire combat efficiency

Improvements to graphical fidelity

The patch notes also outline a host of improvements and additions to Redfall’s accessibility options, including screen narration for social functions such as invites, friend requests, and joining a multiplayer lobby.

Following Redfall’s launch, which garnered negative reviews from critics and players alike, Xbox head Phil Spencer called the release “disappointing.” He also said that Xbox and Arkane have “a good timeline” for the addition of the 60 fps performance mode; it remains to be seen when that will come to fruition.

In our review, we said that Redfall was “too sucked of liveliness” to earn our investment. It also bungled the legacy of Arkane Studios, a developer long known for making compelling first-person games with strong elements of player choice. Arkane seems to be leaning hard on the “incremental” label throughout the new update’s patch notes, signifying that, while the developer nor Xbox are abandoning their plans to support the game anytime soon, it will likely take more than one patch to fix its biggest problems.