Arkane developers say Blade is almost finished, but if it doesn’t find a buyer soon, the studio will close

Arkane Lyon has a few weeks to find a buyer before it closes. According to a report from The Worldone of the main French newspapers, the developers of the French studio hope to have more time to find a buyer before Xbox closes it permanently.

As spotted by Gematsu, Xbox acquired Arkane Studios as part of the ZeniMax Media acquisition in 2021. In 2024, Xbox closed sister studio Arkane Austin after its multiplayer vampire shooter. Red fall did not live up to expectations. Two years later, Arkane Lyon became one of several studios threatened with divestment or death during Xbox’s cataclysmic reset in July. Double Fine and Compulsion Games were broken up, Undead Labs became employee-owned, and Ninja Theory began letting people go after two attempts to save the studio failed. BBut Arkane Lyon entered a waiting period in which its fate remained uncertain, with French labor law requiring companies with at least 1,000 employees to try to find a buyer before carrying out massive layoffs or closing. This three-month deadline expires on November 13, leaving Arkane Lyon with approximately three weeks to find a savior.

In the meantime, Arkane Lyon, known for his work on Dishonored And Death loopworked on the development Marvel BladeXbox’s attempt to capture some of the prestige (and sales) of the PlayStation Wolverine And Spiderman games. Blade was announced at The Game Awards in 2023, but there have been no further updates on the game’s progress and Xbox reportedly wanted to cancel the game altogether.

However, union representatives speaking on behalf of promoters The World say that Blade is “at the end” of its development, and that it would be a “monumental waste” if the game remained unfinished in the event of Arkane Lyon closing. One potential escape route is Arkane founder Raphael Colantonio, who asked, perhaps seriously or perhaps not, how much it would cost to buy the studio back from Xbox. If he’s not serious, let’s hope someone is. It would suck if such a reputable developer closed its doors and we lost yet another promising developer. Blade project.