Following Microsoft extending the deadline for Arkane Lyon to find a new buyer to December 13th, a new report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier indicates that the Dishonored developer has generated quite a bit of interest in potential acquisitions. Multiple companies have seemingly made offers to Microsoft to acquire the French studio, including Ubisoft.
Citing anonymous sources, the report has noted that two other gaming companies have also offered their own bids to buy Arkane Lyon. However, Xbox itself hasn’t yet come to an agreement with any of the potential buyers. The good news is that, if a deal goes through, it would give the studio plenty of leeway to wrap up its work on Marvel’s Blade, which is said to be far along enough in development to come out within the next year or two.
In the meantime, an Xbox spokesperson has said that the company is still exploring its options before the December deadline comes along, and hasn’t offered any further comment. Similarly, Ubisoft also didn’t offer any comment.
Microsoft had confirmed that the deadline for Arkane Lyon to find a new buyer had been extended to December just last month, shortly after a report had come up about the company having until November 13th to do so. In a statement, a Microsoft representative said that the consultation period was being extended so that both parties have more time to contemplate options.
“We have extended the consultation period by one additional month as we explore options, including finding a partner to support the studio through the development work still ahead. This is a defined extension, and we remain committed to keeping the Works Council informed throughout the process.”
Unfortunately, if the companies involved aren’t able to come to terms on a deal for the acquisition of Arkane Lyon, the studio would be at risk of closure, putting around 217 jobs at risk. French union representatives have spoken about Xbox’s treatment of the studio, calling it “incoherent”, and noted that employee sentiment had turned into a “very great anger”. Despite these issues, the representatives have also said that the studio remains in good health, and that the development of Marvel’s Blade has been going smoothly.
Xbox had announced its plans to divest itself of Arkane Lyon alongside four other studios – Double Fine Productions, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs – back in July. The announcement was made by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who also confirmed that the company was cutting around 1,600 jobs across various divisions. These were just part of larger cost-cutting plans, and Sharma has confirmed that around 1,600 more jobs will be cut before the end of the fiscal year.
Schreier has also previously reported that Arkane Lyon has “multiple paths” that were being explored to ensure the studio’s survival. “Anything can happen during negotiations,” he said, “but at this point I’d be surprised if the studio is shut down.” He pointed to France’s labor laws offering a great level of protection for Arkane Lyon, which would make its potential closure a “VERY expensive” process for Xbox.
