As with most press conferences these days, the Xbox and Bethesda E3 2021 had to close with something special. Their “one more thing” was none other than Redfall from Arkane Austin. The announcement trailer looked outrageously cool, but at the end of the day it was just a flashy, animated cutscene. Gamers were left only with assumptions beyond the game being a co-op focused shooter with vampires rather than soldiers or zombies. Fortunately there's a bit more information about what exactly Redfall is all about. Here’s a look at all the information Arkane have provided so far about their upcoming title.

So what’s the story? The game is set in the fictional island town of Redfall, Massachusetts where vampires have taken roost. These aren’t vampires of yore, however, but instead the result of failed science experiments. Thanks to being on a small island, the vampires have cut off all connection to the outside world and are slowly sapping the population as their power continues to grow. Players can opt to jump in via single player, but it’s clear the game shines best with its four player co-op gameplay. This is because each of the four main characters have their own skill sets which make them a great asset for your vampire-hunting squad. Layla Ellison harnesses telekinesis, Remi De La Rosa has her robotic partner, Devinder Crousley is equipped with his inventions and Jacob Boyer is a stealthy sniper.

Although the cinematic trailer focused on vampires, they’re not the only enemies you’ll fight in Redfall. The small town also has its share of humans who are actually on the side of the vampires. Why? Well, they’ve all joined a cult in hopes of either becoming vampires themselves or simply avoiding turning into a midnight snack. Of course, it’s clearly the vampires who will pose the greatest threat to your team. Due to their experimental nature, they’re also in a state of perpetual evolution. This will likely mean a wide variety of vampire types and bosses to challenge over the course of the game. The trailer showcased a few of these vamp variants and each seems like a worthy adversary.

Arkane clearly knows how to make a shooter as evidenced by their previous work on Dishonored, Prey and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Redfall follows their history of shooters with room for player creativity. This FPS will allow each player to have custom loadouts and upgrade their abilities. Characters such as Layla will clearly also offer physics-based gameplay via her telekinesis. The rest of the crew's abilities mean players also get to try out each until they find their favorite playstyle. The vampiric enemies also ensure gameplay will be nothing like a typical, more realistic shooter.

The most surprising thing of all is that Redfall isn’t many years away from release. It was confirmed for a summer 2022 release. Not only that, but it will launch as part of Xbox Game Pass. The game is slated as a console exclusive to Xbox Series X|S. With that said, PC players will also be able to get their hands on the game next year.