Le Monde reports a November 13 deadline in the closure consultation
Arkane Lyon, the studio behind Dishonored and Deathloop, has until November 13 to find a buyer or face closure, according to a new report from French newspaper Le Monde. The date marks the end of the consultation process with the studio’s Social and Economic Committee, a required step under French labor law before a proposed closure can move forward.
Around 217 jobs are at risk if no buyer or partner steps in. According to Le Monde, “several forms of takeover” are under consideration as Microsoft hunts for a partner to take on the studio. The search began in mid-summer under France’s Florange Law, which requires companies with at least 1,000 employees to seek a buyer before closing a site that would trigger large-scale layoffs.
Microsoft says it is actively seeking a partner
Microsoft gave a guarded response to Le Monde. A representative told the paper the company continues “to explore different options for Arkane as part of the ongoing French consultation procedure” and is “actively looking for a partner to support the next phase of development and enable the commercialization of the project.” The statement was translated from French.
The project in question is almost certainly Marvel’s Blade. A union representative who spoke to Le Monde said the game is “nearing the end” of production and that letting it go unreleased “would be a monumental waste.” The French video game workers union Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Video added that it is proud of the work completed and believes the game would be a success if released.
Part of a wider Xbox shake-up
The stakes reach beyond Lyon. Back in July, Xbox cut 3,200 jobs and parted ways with Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Undead Labs, putting Arkane Lyon under review for “potential strategic options.” Ninja Theory is still in its own consultation process over a possible closure, making it the second Xbox studio at risk alongside Arkane.
There is a wrinkle in the timeline worth noting. Pure Xbox reports that any dealings around a potential closure could stretch into the first quarter of 2027, so November 13 may mark the end of the consultation window rather than the day the lights go out. Either way, the clock is ticking on one of the industry’s most respected studios.
What Marvel’s Blade would leave behind
Arkane Lyon announced Marvel’s Blade in 2023, a mature single-player action game set in Paris and starring the Marvel vampire hunter. If the studio closes with the game near the finish line, it would rank among the most painful cancellations by closure in recent memory, and would raise hard questions about what the next era of Xbox actually looks like for prestige single-player development.
Sources: Le Monde, Gematsu, Insider Gaming, Pure Xbox, Bloody Disgusting
