Ubisoft and Others Reportedly Bid for Arkane Studios, Maker of Marvel's Blade Game
Bloomberg reports that several companies have made offers for game developer Arkane Studios, currently owned by Microsoft's Xbox. Xbox says it is weighing options ahead of a December deadline.
Arkane Studios, a video game developer owned by Microsoft's Xbox division, may soon change hands. According to Bloomberg, several companies have submitted bids for the studio, including French publisher Ubisoft and at least two other firms that have not been named. The outcome matters because Arkane is working on a game based on Marvel's Blade franchise, about a vampire hunter.
What came before
In July, Xbox announced large-scale layoffs. At the time, speculation suggested Arkane could be closed or its current project cancelled as part of the cuts. The rumors were part of a wave of studio closures and cancellations at Xbox this year.
Options under review
Bloomberg's report says Xbox has also considered selling Arkane to its own management. An Xbox representative told the outlet that the company is exploring options ahead of a December deadline, without giving further details.
The Blade game
Arkane is the studio behind Dishonored and Deathloop. Little is publicly known about the Blade project: the only material shown is the cinematic trailer that announced it in 2023.
Ubisoft's situation
Ubisoft would not necessarily be a stable home for the studio, as the company has also been affected by cuts across the gaming industry. This year it announced layoffs twice in January, and again in March, June and October.
