‘Marvel’s Blade’ Could Finally Get a Lifeline as Xbox Studio Draws Rival Bidders
Few superhero projects have had a stranger journey than Arkane’s take on the Daywalker. The game was announced at The Game Awards in December 2023, is set in a quarantined Paris, and has barely been seen since its debut trailer almost three years ago. For a game with that much style behind it, the silence has been loud.
It has also been a rough season for the studio making it. Arkane Lyon, the team behind ‘Dishonored’ and ‘Deathloop’, has faced a proposed closure that put roughly 217 jobs at risk, with employees informed of the plan on July 16. Arkane was one of 5 studios Microsoft earmarked for divestment in July as part of the Xbox reset.
Against that backdrop, a fresh update is giving fans something they haven’t had in months: a reason for optimism. DiscussingFilm shared on X that the ‘Blade’ game is expected to release within the next 1-2 years, adding that multiple companies have made offers to buy Arkane and that any deal will likely allow the game to be finished.
The post points to a scoop from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, and the broader reporting backs up the heart of it. Schreier reported on Nov. 3 that at least 3 gaming companies have submitted bids to buy Arkane Lyon from Microsoft, and according to the report a deal would most likely let Arkane finish ‘Marvel’s Blade’ without interruption. The 1-2 year release window is DiscussingFilm’s own framing of that outlook, not an official timeline.
Only one suitor has been named so far. Ubisoft is the only bidder identified, and Insider Gaming says it independently confirmed the offer. Bloomberg also claims Xbox is considering selling Arkane to its own management, which would make the studio independent.
Nothing is signed, and the clock is still ticking. No terms have leaked, the other 2 bidders are unknown, and the new deadline is Dec. 13, 2026, after which closure remains on the table. The original deadline was Nov. 13 under the French consultation process, and Microsoft extended it by a month in October.
Microsoft hasn’t tipped its hand either. An Xbox spokesperson told Bloomberg the company is exploring options ahead of the December deadline, while Ubisoft had no comment, and reports say Microsoft is not yet satisfied with the proposals it has received. That leaves the outcome open, even if the mood around it has clearly shifted.
The Ubisoft angle is an intriguing one. Both companies are French, and Ubisoft published Arkane’s ‘Dark Messiah of Might and Magic’ back in 2006. Ubisoft is also deep in its own restructuring, with layoffs and studio closures this year, which makes it a surprising rescuer.
The state of the game itself is part of why the stakes feel so high. A union representative described ‘Blade’ as approaching the end of production, though that assessment comes from the union rather than an official update from Bethesda. If that’s accurate, a buyer would be inheriting a project that’s closer to the finish line than its quiet marketing suggests.
Fans have reason to take a breath, but not to celebrate yet. Schreier previously said he would be surprised if the studio shut down, while acknowledging negotiations could change. That caution is worth keeping in mind as the December deadline approaches.
Marvel’s vampire hunter has a long history of being overlooked, then dramatically resurrected. If a buyer steps in, it may be one more comeback for the character, this time with a controller in hand.
