Marvel’s Blade is close to the finish line, but the studio making it is running out of time. Arkane Lyon, the French team behind Dishonored and Deathloop, is facing closure if Microsoft cannot find a buyer, and the consultation over that proposed shutdown is set to end on November 13.
Le Monde reported the latest details on Friday, and VICE laid out the timeline: about 217 jobs are at risk, and documents cited by the French paper show a closure that would begin at the end of 2026 and run into early 2027. November 13 is the end of the consultation period, not a confirmed shutdown date.
Blade Is Nearing The End Of Production
The most striking part of the report is where the game itself stands. A union representative at the studio said Blade is nearing the end of production, and called the idea of shelving it “a monumental waste,” artistically, humanly and commercially. Several forms of takeover are being considered, the representative said, though no bidders have been named, and talks over the redundancy plan are not going well.
Microsoft has not given up on the project. In a statement to Le Monde, the company said it is still exploring options for the studio and is actively looking for a partner to support development and bring the game to market. That leaves two open questions: who would own Arkane Lyon, and who would publish Blade.
Why There Is A Buyer Search At All
French law requires large companies planning a closure like this one to look for a buyer first, which is why the studio’s future is tied to a sale process instead of a simple shutdown. The search reportedly began over the summer, and the studio’s unions want more time to find a buyer and to negotiate support for employees who could lose their jobs.
Blade fans have been waiting on this game for a while. Bethesda and Arkane Lyon revealed Marvel’s Blade with a teaser at The Game Awards in December 2023, and it still has no release date. Bethesda’s Todd Howard has since said the game was still happening and praised Arkane’s work on it.
What Happens Next
The next few weeks decide a lot. If a buyer steps in before the consultation closes, Arkane Lyon could keep working on Blade under new ownership. If not, Blade needs some other partner willing to finish and release a game that, by the union’s account, is nearly done. Without either, 217 jobs and the game itself are left in limbo.
For players who have been waiting to step into the Daywalker’s boots since that 2023 teaser, the answer now depends on a deal that has to come together in less than a month.
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