Games

Microsofts Shutdown of Arkane Austin Was Stupid, Says Companys Founder

Published

3 weeks ago

October 31, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Arkane Studios founder Raphael Colantonio believes Microsoft’s decision to shut down Arkane Austin earlier this year was a mistake.
Colantino commended Arkane Austin’s talent and reckons it’s impossible to replicate it, and that Microsoft should’ve given the studio another shot.
Arkane Austin only released two projects prior to the closure – Prey and Redfall.

Arkane founder Raphael Colantonio recently expressed dissatisfaction with Microsoft’s decision to close Arkane Austin earlier this year. While Arkane Austin only ever released two projects of its own, including the critically panned looter-shooter Redfall, Colantonio maintains that permanently closing the studio’s doors was “stupid” on Microsoft’s part.

Microsoft made headlines back in May when it simultaneously shut down four Bethesda studios, namely Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Roundhouse Studios, and Alpha Dog Games. The closures of Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks were especially hard-hitting, as both studios had just released new games in 2023. Where Tango’s Hi-Fi Rush resonated extremely well with critics and fans, though, Arkane Austin’s Redfall didn’t quite enjoy the same levels of success. Not only did it fall flat with reviewers, Redfall also saw very underwhelming player counts throughout its lifespan.

Xbox Game Pass Is Losing 5 Games Today

Xbox Game Pass is losing five titles later today, October 31, but Microsoft’s subscribers still have enough time to beat a few of these.

Microsoft ultimately gave up on Redfall when it shuttered Arkane Austin, a decision that apparently didn’t sit right with Arkane founder Raphael Colantonio, who directed 2017’s critically-acclaimed Prey and is now leading WolfEye Studios. In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Colantonio lamented the loss of Arkane Austin’s talent, stating that the studio was a “special group of people” that have created “cool” things in the past and could “pull it off again.” Colantonio also reckoned that Microsoft’s decision to close Arkane Austin could’ve been made in the interest of pleasing shareholders.

Arkane Founder Feels Arkane Austin Was a Creative Powerhouse

Regardless of the underlying reason, Colantino believes that killing off a talented team like Arkane Austin was “not a good decision” by Microsoft, to the point where he feels that replicating it is “impossible.” He specifically commended the creative “magic” of Redfall director Harvey Smith and Dishonored lead designer Ricardo Bare, mentioning that it took “forever to reach” and that Microsoft should’ve given Arkane Austin another chance. Unlike the revival of Tango Gameworks and the Hi-Fi Rush IP, though, it seems Arkane Austin won’t be rising from the grave, at least for the foreseeable future.

The only thing that I stand by is saying that the specific choice of killing Arkane Austin, that was not a good decision. Recreating a very special group like that is, I would dare to say, impossible. It takes forever.

2024 has been exceptionally hard on the games industry with over 13,000 estimated layoffs so far, the most ever recorded in a single year. Studio closures are happening on a near-weekly basis, with Sony shuttering Concord developer Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi just a few days ago. Despite the industry’s unpredictable climate, though, it’s extremely unfortunate to see Arkane Austin being relegated to the history books after just two projects. Thankfully, many of Arkane Austin’s talented developers have found work at Colantino’s WolfEye Studios, but there’s no telling when the layoffs and studio closures will ease off.

Microsoft

Date Founded: April 4, 1975
Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
CEO: Satya Nadella
Subsidiaries: activision blizzard , Microsoft Studios , Mojang Studios , Microsoft Game Studios , Xbox Game Studios