Well, that’s it, folks! Arkane Austin today delivered the latest update for Redfall on Xbox and PC in the form of “Game Update 4,” which brings a bunch of new features to the 2023 shooter, including an offline mode.
The patch notes also contain a final note from Arkane Austin before the studio shut down:
“We are proud to bring you Redfall’s Game Update 4. We are grateful for the millions of players who have joined us. From everyone at Arkane Austin, thank you for playing our games and loving our worlds, it’s been an honor to bring you these experiences.”
You can see the patch notes for Redfall Update 4 below, but note that they don’t go into much detail about the ‘summary’ section – unfortunately Arkane says more comprehensive patch notes they are not will be provided.
NEIGHBORHOOD RENEWAL – INTRODUCING THE COMMUNITY POSITION
With the release of Game Update 4, unlocking a new Safehouse, completing Safehouse missions, rescuing civilians or killing an Underboss will contribute to a new reputation bar called “Community Standing”. As you help the people of Redfall free their city from the grip of the Vampire Gods, you’ll be able to use your Support Currency to unlock new rewards from the Safehouse Skill Tree.
There are six community status ranks that give you 39 unique rewards that serve as permanent upgrades. As you progress higher in the Skill Tree, the unlocks become more and more impactful. To help you get a better idea of what upgrades await you, let’s take a look at a few unlocks from each of the six community ranks.
Rank 1:
- Treat yourself: Cosmetics near your location are displayed on your map and compass.
- I’m in: Towers and Tripwires take 50% less time to hack.
Rank 2:
- The rest of the story: Tomb locks near your location appear on your map and compass.
- Ammunition disposal: Human enemies drop more ammo on death.
Rank 3:
- Well grounded: Take 50% less lightning damage on Rook Storm.
- Castle Doctrine: Unlocked Safehouse Defense now includes some friendly turrets.
Rank 4:
- Family heirlooms: Anglers, Shrouds, and Siphons drop better rewards on death.
- Homeopathic medicine: Using medical supplies has a 40% chance of not consuming the item.
Rank 5:
- Crystal Ball: Each orb of Psychic Remnants collected has a 40% chance to give you significantly more Psychic Remnants.
- Last laugh: When destroyed, friendly turrets will electrocute enemies within 20 meters. Does not affect enemies immune to electric shock.
Rank 6:
- Hi roller: Unsurpassed items appear much more often in loot.
- Escape plan: Activate a salvaged Bellwether Cloak for 10 seconds upon reaching critical health levels. The attack will be disabled. It can only appear once every 10 minutes.
All upgrades from the Community Standing Skill Tree aim to provide you with a combination of QoL and gameplay benefits. Some of the traits will even help collectors complete their hunt for cosmetics and tomb locks.
NEST REVAMP – ELDER NEST
Also arriving with Game Update 4 are Elder Nests. These new boss-focused nests will challenge you to take down dangerously modified special vampires to free Redfall from their influence. Portals to the Elder Nest will appear around Redfall much like their Heart Nest siblings. But these new psychic spaces can be distinguished by their purple glow over the areas they influence.
After accepting the challenge and entering the Ancient Nest, your goal is to find the Vampire boss buried deep inside and destroy them, freeing the Heart inside, grabbing your prizes and escaping. After you successfully clear the Ancient Nest, you (and your teammates) will receive a temporary buff called the Heart Shard. Heart Shard duration varies according to campaign difficulty; granting a longer buff at each higher difficulty.
Here are just a few of the Heart Shards that can be given after completing the Elder Nest:
- Ammunition Synthesis: Holstered weapons regenerate ammo and reload when not in use.
- UV treatment: Player gains health when hit by UV.
- Light in the dark: The expanding aura around the nest weakens the vampires inside it, instead of the usual strengthening effect.
There’s another big change coming to all Nests with this update. If you fail to escape from a nest during its destabilization phase, you will now not receive the Core Relic. Any loot you pick up will still be yours, but Major Remanent is now awarded after you successfully exit the collapsing nest.
OFFLINE MODE
With the release of GU4, you will be given the option to play Redfall while disconnected from the internet. You’ll also be able to continue playing if you’re disconnected from the internet during a solo session. When playing in co-op, the host will be dropped into a solo offline session.
SINGLE PLAYER BREAK
Another new feature we’re excited to introduce is Single Player Pause. Now, if you need some time to adjust your kit or just need to step away for a minute, the world of Redfall will be waiting for you.
COMPLETION
This article only covers the biggest additions to Redfall, but that’s not all. Also added with this update were new enemy encounters in Redfall Commons, continuous AI improvements, Story Mode difficulty, and a new unbeatable weapon.