Fired Director Pleads to Microsoft for Redfall Patch

When a game designer gets laid off, what happens next? For Harvey Smith, a legend of the immersive simulation genre, the answer involved a masterclass in negotiation, a stubborn belief in the quality of his work, and a plea to Microsoft to release a final patch for a notoriously flawed title.

Smith, known for his foundational work on classics like Deus Ex and the critically acclaimed Dishonored, found himself at a crossroads in May 2024. The studio that birthed the experimental first-person shooter Redfall was slated for shutdown, and the roadmap for the game’s future was effectively cancelled.

Despite the corporate decision, the spirit of the team refused to let go of the project. They had spent a year pouring effort into fixing the game, patching thousands of bugs, and preparing a crucial update, version 1.4. This update was packed with fixes and improvements that many players desperately wanted.

When faced with the looming closure, Smith didn’t accept defeat. He took a bold step, negotiating directly with Microsoft. He argued that although the studio no longer existed, the work itself deserved to reach the players. Smith made a compelling case, asking for permission to release version 1.4, insisting that including those fixes would have made Redfall a much better experience from the start.

“We finished the game and it was very poorly received,” Smith reflected. “We then worked on it for a year. We patched thousands of bugs. We then got laid off, but we had in the pipe version 1.4. It was the one that fixed tons of stuff. So, we went to Microsoft and said, ‘I know we don’t work here anymore, but can we please release this?’ And to their credit, they did not say no.”

This negotiation highlighted a broader tension within the gaming industry. The shift toward live-service elements and the concept of “games-as-a-service” had fundamentally altered how studios operated, sometimes overshadowing the specialized, deep design that defined the genre. Smith admitted that while he embraced the growth, he had sometimes fallen prey to the idea that this model always worked out, overlooking the complexity of the creative landscape.

The story of Redfall is just one chapter in a larger evolution. As the industry seeks new frontiers, Smith channeled his experience into a new endeavor, launching his own development studio, Black Pony Immersive. This new venture is dedicated to the immersive sim genre, continuing the legacy of games that prioritize deep mechanics and player immersion.

While the fate of other studios, like Arkane Lyon, is currently tied up in corporate restructuring, Smith remains focused on creating. He proved that even when a studio closes its doors, the talent and the passion can find new avenues to thrive, ensuring that the legacy of innovative design continues to evolve.