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Arkane Lyon’s union says Microsoft risks studio and Blade’s future
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
New reporting says Ubisoft and two other companies are bidding to buy Arkane Lyon, which faces possible closure if Microsoft cannot find a buyer. The studio’s workers’ union says development on Marvel’s Blade is going well, but warns that Microsoft’s decision could put both the studio and the game at risk.
The union alleges that a 19-month hiring freeze caused delays and extra costs that Microsoft is now using to justify selling or closing Arkane. It says the studio is profitable, but not profitable enough for Microsoft, and argues that closure could cost more than finishing Blade. The game was announced nearly three years ago, with little public news since.
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In short
- Ubisoft and two other companies are reportedly bidding for Arkane Lyon.
- The studio’s union says Blade development is going well.
- Arkane could close if Microsoft cannot find a buyer.
How this story developed
- 54 minutes ago Bloomberg reported that Arkane could close and Blade be cancelled if Microsoft found no suitable buyer, while the union reiterated that the studio was profitable and argued closure could cost more than completing the game.
- 1 hour ago Reports said Ubisoft and two other companies were bidding to buy Arkane Lyon, which could close if Microsoft found no buyer, while the workers’ union said Blade was progressing well but blamed a 19-month hiring freeze for delays and extra costs that Microsoft was citing as grounds to sell or shut the studio.
- Eurogamer Arkane union says closing the studio "would probably be more expensive" for Xbox than simply finishing Marvel's Blade
- Destructoid Arkane Lyon’s union says Microsoft risks studio and Blade’s future
- PC Gamer French game union accuses Microsoft of 'sabotaging' Blade and then using the fallout to justify closing Arkane
Full account
The union representing workers at Arkane Lyon says the studio remains at risk of closure despite development on Marvel’s Blade going well. In a statement, the French video games union STJV accused Microsoft of putting the game and the studio’s future in jeopardy after funding the project. Blade was announced almost three years ago, but Arkane has shared little about it since.
The union argues that Microsoft’s hiring freeze, which it says lasted 19 months, contributed to delays and extra costs. It says the company is now citing those same pressures as reasons to shut the studio. The STJV also contends that closing Arkane could cost more than completing the game, and describes the decision as driven by Microsoft’s financial priorities. These are the union’s claims; the supplied reports do not include a response from Microsoft.
Arkane has reportedly been given until December to find a buyer. Ubisoft is among the companies said to be interested, though no sale has been confirmed. The studio is known for Dishonored and Prey. If a buyer is not found, its closure could put Blade’s development at risk, but neither report confirms that the game has been cancelled.
The union is seeking a role for employees in choosing a potential buyer and protection against future redundancies. It also says Microsoft’s existing redundancy support is inadequate and calls for €200,000 per employee, along with further assistance. The reports differ in emphasis: one focuses on the union’s criticism of Microsoft and the possibility of Blade being abandoned, while the other gives more detail about the union’s demands and places Arkane’s situation among other studios affected by Xbox cuts.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Source 1 says Ubisoft and two other companies are bidding for Arkane; Source 2 says Ubisoft is reportedly among interested companies and notes that no deal is finalised.
Source 2 specifies the union’s demands for employee input, job protections, €200,000 redundancy payments and additional support. Source 1 does not detail these demands and instead foregrounds the union’s broader criticism of Microsoft.
Source 1 compares the possible outcome with a separate reported cancellation at BioWare; Source 2 instead mentions other studios affected by Xbox cuts.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The union’s case is that Arkane Lyon is a functioning, profitable studio with a major game in development, and that a prolonged hiring freeze may have contributed to delays and costs now cited against it. Selling the studio or allowing it to close could waste that investment, put jobs at risk and jeopardise Blade; completing the game may be less costly than abandoning it.
The case against
Microsoft may reasonably weigh Arkane Lyon’s prospects against the costs and risks of keeping the studio open, including the resources needed to finish a game that has had little public update in nearly three years. If the studio’s profits are insufficient or a buyer can provide a more sustainable future, a sale could preserve its work and jobs better than continued ownership; closure may be considered if no viable buyer or business case exists.
Coverage · 3 sources
- DestructoidArkane Lyon’s union says Microsoft risks studio and Blade’s future
- EurogamerArkane union says closing the studio "would probably be more expensive" for Xbox than simply finishing Marvel's Blade
- PC GamerFrench game union accuses Microsoft of 'sabotaging' Blade and then using the fallout to justify closing Arkane
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Destructoid as “Arkane devs say Microsoft is ‘sabotaging’ Marvel’s Blade as the studio is ‘profitable, just not profitable enough’”.