Microsoft swung for the fences in its presentation at E3 2021. Although not everything fans were necessarily hoping for was there, as Microsoft didn’t have anything new to say about far-flung titles likeFableorAvowed,critical games like Bethesda’s new sci-fi IPStarfieldwere there. Bethesda didn’t have much to say about new games, particularly the mysterious and hotly anticipatedElder Scrolls 6,but a Bethesda studio took up the final announcement slot in the Microsoft conference. Arkane Studios, the ground behindDishonoredandPrey,is working on a new IP calledRedfallthat appears to be an action-packed vampire hunting extravaganza.
Arkane Studios, like Bethesda, was a property of ZeniMax Media until Microsoft acquired ZeniMax, so Arkane got integrated into Xbox Game Studios at the same time as Bethesda Games Studios. That means the Xbox exclusiveRedfallparallels Bethesda andStarfield’s transitions into Xbox exclusivity. However, that’s not the only way thatRedfallresembles Bethesda proper. Oddly enough,Redfallhas a weird connection to a majorElder Scrolls 6leak that took the internet by storm in the middle of 2020. Although the leak has long since been proven false, hilariously,Redfallstill shares its name with a fictional full title forThe Elder Scrolls 6make up by a Reddit user.
RELATED:Cyberpunk 2077 Might Be Super Important to The Elder Scrolls 6
Reviewing the Elder Scrolls 6 ‘Leak’
In spring of 2020, a member of the r/BethesdaSoftworks subreddit called ToddIsMyMom claimed to have detailed,exclusive information aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6and poured a massive leak onto the subreddit. The user claimed that the game’s full name wasThe Elder Scrolls 6: Redfall,and shared detailed information about everything from the game’s sprawling setting to a revamped crafting system. For a long time, this leaker insisted the leak was true and even provided a fake NDA to try to bolster their credibility. Since then, though, the leaker admitted that they made up the leak aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6: Redfall,and apologized for misleading Bethesda fans.
However,theElder Scrolls: Redfallleakwas built on one important kernel of truth. For a while, Bethesda fans did think that the phrase ‘Redfall’ had something to do withElder Scrolls. That’s because ZeniMax Media got in a dispute with an author named Jay Falconer who is known for a book series calledRedfall.The dispute didn’t actually reveal what ZeniMax wanted to use the title for, but fans thought it seemed likely that ZeniMax was trying to recure theRedfallmoniker for its star studio, Bethesda. Thanks to Microsoft’s E3 presentation, fans now know that ZeniMax really was planning on calling a gameRedfall,but it wasn’t forElder Scrollsor even Bethesda – it was for Arkane’s new vampire game.
RELATED:5 Time Loop Games to Play Until Deathloop Releases
Redfall’s Strange and Funny Journey
Ifany longtime Bethesda or ZeniMax fansfeelRedfall’s title is awfully familiar, that’s clearly why. TheElder Scrolls 6: Redfallwas one of the hottest leaks of the RPG’s history, even though it’s long since been proven irrelevant to what Bethesda is working on internally. Even though the realRedfallis a completely different fantasy experience fromTES,it might always have a weird connection to Bethesda’s world via this title mix-up. Although last year’s leaker made a good gamble onRedfallbeing Bethesda’s title of choice, they were aiming for the wrong ZeniMax studio.
Now that the industry knows thatRedfallactually is, there’s cause to be excited about it.Redfalllooks like a pretty interesting concept; vampire media isn’t at its apex anymore, so it might offer a refreshing contrast to things like zombie games that continue to rule the game industry.Redfallalso proves that Arkane Studios is really keeping busy, since it’s working on this at the same time asthe sci-fi shooterDeathloop.It’s nice to finally know whatRedfallis, albeit a long time after ZeniMax fought to secure the name. Maybe Arkane and Bethesda can collaborate on anElder ScrollsEaster egg to poke fun at theRedfallmixup.
Redfallis scheduled to release in 2022 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:E3 2021 - Schedule, Where to Watch, Everything Announced, & More
