Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jul 6
Arkane Lyon Founder Asks Xbox CEO 'How Much?' as 2023 Marvel's Blade Faces Studio Sale or Closure
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jul 6

Arkane Lyon Founder Asks Xbox CEO 'How Much?' as 2023 Marvel's Blade Faces Studio Sale or Closure

3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jul 6

Summary

  • Raphael Colantonio, who founded Arkane Lyon in 1999, publicly asked Xbox CEO Sarah Bond “how much?” after Microsoft disclosed talks over a possible sale or closure of the studio.
  • Asha Sharma’s layoff memo said Arkane management in France has begun the required Works Council consultation to review “strategic options,” a process that could take months.
  • Marvel’s Blade, announced in 2023, is now in deeper doubt: the game missed June’s Xbox showcase, and The Verge reported last week that it is delayed and over budget.
  • The outcome could range from layoffs and new ownership to closure and cancellation, which would make Arkane Lyon the second Arkane studio Microsoft unwinds after shutting Arkane Austin in 2024.

Insights

With its founder hinting at a buyout, could Arkane Lyon escape Xbox's cuts and save its troubled Marvel's Blade project?
As Xbox divests studios, is its Game Pass-centric strategy proving to be a failure for creative game development?