Redfall was cancelled on PlayStation 5 because of Xbox

Microsoft's acquisition of Zenimax changed Arkane's original plans.
Text: Eirik Hyldbakk Furu
Published 2023-03-22

Both Sony and Microsoft have said many dumb things to regulators in different regions to respectively stop or approve the latter's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. One of the first questions most asked was if the deal would lead to Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch and so forth becoming Xbox-exclusive. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, was quick to say that wouldn't necessarily be the case, as they apparently want to make games available for even more people across the world. There will obviously be some exceptions, and this one will definitely be used by Sony's lawyers.

Because IGN got to chat with Arkane studio director Harvey Smith as part of the latest Redfall preview (that you can find Alex' impressions of here), and he revealed that Redfall was originally set to launch on PlayStation 5 as well. This changed when the company was acquired by Microsoft, as the studio was told to cancel the PS5 version and instead focus on Xbox Series and PC.

Not exactly a strange decision, but definitely one Sony will highlight in the next meeting with UK's Competition and Markets Authority and such in an attempt to convince the regulators that Microsoft might do something similar with Activision Blizzard games if the deal gets approved.

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