Redfall is Bethesda’s vampire-infested co-op shooter — what to know

Zombies were getting old, so now we have vampires. Redfall, named after the fictional town of Redfall, Massachusetts, has been overrun by a vampiric cult. You play as a team of four characters (or one of the four, if you do co-op) in the adventure to restore the town to normal before it’s too late. It’s an open-world shooter with diverse characters, each with their own backstory and specialty. Expect mad scientists, cultists, and supernatural-related hijinks. No Elder Scrolls, though.

Here’s what we know so far about Arkane Austin’s latest shooter.

When is the Redfall release date?

Redfall launches on May 2, 2023. Bethesda announced it last summer during E3 2021, and it was originally supposed to release in the summer of 2022. Arkane Studios confirmed its release date in the latest Xbox and Bethesda Developer Direct.

In May 2022, Bethesda informed fans that they wouldn’t be seeing Redfall or Starfield as early as they thought.

“The teams at Arkane Austin (Redfall) and Bethesda Game Studios (Starfield) have incredible ambitions for their games, and we want to ensure that you receive the best, most polished versions of them,” the company wrote in its statement. Thankfully, when Arkane Studios said the game would be delayed to the first half of 2023, it meant it.

At this point, Redfall should come on the promised date. The gameplay also looks as polished as ever based on the latest trailers.

Is there a Redfall trailer?

The Redfall announcement trailer aired at E3 2021 during the Xbox and Bethesda showcase. It’s mostly a cinematic about what the game is about rather than a gameplay reveal but still captures what to expect from the supernatural-themed shooter.

A squad of weapon-toting vampire hunters starts off in a wrecked supermarket, then backtracks to the disastrous situation that led them there in the first place. We see bazookas, stabby weapons, and magical elevators used in the fight against the blood-obsessed cultists in the footage.

Arkane Austin revealed the gameplay trailer during the next year’s Xbox and Bethesda showcase. This trailer takes the player on a tour through the eyes of the playable characters, each of which has their own special abilities like telekinesis, invisibility gadgets, and robot friends. Since then, others like the “Into the Night” trailer featuring the game’s fearsome bloodsuckers and the additional “Welcome to Redfall” trailer have further explained what to expect from the game’s settings and gameplay.

What is the Redfall story?

Redfall revolves around a town where everyone has either become a vampire, joined a cult to become a vampire, or died (probably because of a vampire). Thanks to an experiment gone wrong, vampires have taken over the titular town of Redfall, Massachusetts. These scientifically spawned beings have blocked out the sun and even the water from reaching the shore.

The vampires are apparently not as supernatural as one would think. As per the official lore, they came from an experiment that enabled the transformation of its subjects into bloodsucking monsters. The experiment also resulted in vampires with differing abilities, some of which are more powerful than average. Players also have to fend off human cultists worshipping the vampiric threat.

Redfall inhabitants don’t have access to the outside world and only a handful of survivors are left to fight off the vampiric (and human) enemies threatening the town.

What is Redfall gameplay like?

Redfall is a open-world cooperative FPS. Its main draw lies in its story-driven experience that you can play alone or with friends, where you can either juggle a team of four characters by yourself or form a team with up to three people.

Most of the gameplay takes place from a first-person point of view. Each character carries a long-ranged weapon and wields unique abilities that differentiate them from their peers. For example, Jacob Boyer’s “undead eye” highlights his gun in blue and allows him to snipe targets with inhuman accuracy. Each of these kits is detailed in the gameplay trailer. Characters also accumulate an arsenal of weapons to swap between and a skill tree that unlocks additional abilities.

Outside of the main mission, characters will be expected to explore the Redfall open world and take side quests when they see fit.

What characters are in the Redfall roster?

Redfall has four main heroes with different kits to take advantage of depending on the situation.

• Devinder Crousley - A supernatural creature specialist. He spent years toying with tech to hunt the supernatural, which finally became relevant when Redfall went dark. His research instincts are still intuned to documenting the gang’s journey.
• Layla Ellison - A biomedical engineering student who moved from Wisconsin to study at a local university. She signed up for a medical trial at the Aevum Therapeutics research facility that apparently imbued her with telekinetic powers.
• Remi de la Rosa - A combat engineer who has a history of helping those in need as part of an elite Navy rescue unit. Her knowledge and quick wit often save her and her allies on the front lines. She’s also got a robot friend.
• Jacob Boyer - An ex-military sharpshooter who was sent to Redfall as part of an elite private security force. He was forced to go solo due to “dark circumstances.” Even now, this lone wolf prefers shooting from the shadows.

We see each of them in action in the Redfall gameplay trailer. Their diverse backgrounds match the weapons and abilities that make up their kits and complement their peers.