The video game industry news continues to be bleak. A new report says Arkane Lyon, the studio currently developing Marvel’s Blade, is facing closure.
French outlet Le Monde reports that the studio is running out of time to find a buyer before it closes its doors.
As the consultation and negotiation period ends, things look bleak for the video game studio, with unions saying a decision must be made, according to Le Monde.
Per Insider Gaming:
A union delegate, who Le Monde protects the identity of by using the name “Simon”, says negotiations on the PSE (employee protection plan) have been “going badly”. The delegate adds that Microsoft isn’t giving the representatives a choice on the matter.
They add that the end of the consultation period comes on November 13. At that point, they said, the company will have to make a decision on what to do.
In a statement given to Le Monde, Microsoft said it was continuing to “explore different options for Arkane.”
“We keep the social and economic committee as well as the employees informed, and are actively looking for a partner to support the next phase of development and enable the commercialization of the project,” they said.
What also makes this news worrisome is the possibility that Marvel’s Blade may never see the light of day. According to a rep close to the matter, the game is “nearing the end” of production and it “would be a monumental waste” if it doesn’t drop.
Marvel’s Blade was announced in 2023 during The Game Awards. It looks like Wesley Snipes might be right again when he said Deadpool & Wolverine, “There’s only been one Blade. There’s only ever gonna be one Blade” and since then we have seen Mahershala Ali drop out of playing the iconic comic book character in an upcoming Marvel Studios film.
Bruh.
Blade and Arkane Lyon fans are going through it. You can see more reactions below.