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Ubisoft reportedly among studios offering to buy Arkane from Microsoft as it tries to finish Blade
Ubisoft and at least two other companies have reportedly made early-stage offers to buy Arkane Studios from Microsoft. A sale could provide the Dishonored developer with new backing to finish Marvel’s Blade, as Microsoft considers options for several Xbox studios.
The offers’ terms and the amount of work remaining on Blade are unknown, with reports differing on the game’s progress. Arkane’s future has been uncertain since at least September, and Xbox recently extended its deadline to explore options for the studio. Ubisoft, like Arkane, is based in France and makes games with stealth-action elements, but it is also undergoing its own restructuring.
In short
- Ubisoft reportedly offered to buy Arkane from Microsoft.
- At least two other companies are said to have made offers.
- A new owner could provide backing to complete Marvel’s Blade.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Selling Arkane could give the studio a clearer future and a publisher willing to fund the people and time needed to complete Blade. Ubisoft’s experience with large action games and its shared roots in France might make it a suitable home, while a sale could also let Microsoft focus its resources on other studios.
The case against
A sale could disrupt Arkane’s work, unsettle staff and put Blade’s direction or schedule at the discretion of a new owner. Ubisoft is itself restructuring, so its capacity to provide stable backing is uncertain; Microsoft might instead be better placed to support the studio within its existing organisation.
Explained simply
Arkane is a video game studio known for Dishonored and Prey, games that combine action with stealth and exploration. It is owned by Microsoft, which also owns Xbox and has been reviewing the future of some of its game studios.
Arkane is developing Marvel’s Blade, a game based on the comic-book vampire hunter. Ubisoft is a French games company whose titles include stealth-action games, but it is also restructuring; any change in Arkane’s ownership could affect who backs the studio and its work.