Schreier Says Ubisoft Reportedly Bid for Arkane Lyon, the Dishonored Studio Currently Working on Finishing the Third-Person Action/Adventure Game Marvel’s Blade

- 0-20%: Unlikely - Lacks credible sources

- 21-40%: Questionable - Some concerns remain

- 41-60%: Plausible - Reasonable evidence

- 61-80%: Probable - Strong evidence

- 81-100%: Highly Likely - Multiple reliable sources

90%

Highly Likely

Ubisoft is among a shortlist of at least three companies that have made bids to acquire Arkane Lyon from ZeniMax (and, by extension, Microsoft, which purchased ZeniMax five years ago).

The news was shared a few hours ago by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, so it's as reliable as they come short of an official announcement. Schreier had previously reported that he'd be very surprised if the studio were shuttered rather than sold, and this report strengthens that conviction, especially since it also clarifies that Xbox has evaluated selling Arkane back to its own management. That would be the same outcome as Double Fine, Undead Labs, and Compulsion Games, all of which went back to independence following the big Xbox reset. Sadly, Ninja Theory appears to be headed toward closure instead, potentially leading to the cancellation of Senua.

If all goes well before the end of the consultation period (set for December 13 following a one-month extension), the same won't happen to Marvel's Blade, which is nearly done according to recent reporting by Le Monde. The game was announced at The Game Awards 2023, and so far, we know little about it, except that it will be a third-person (in contrast to Arkane's usual games) action/adventure game set in Paris, France, where Blade is fighting a wave of vampires that threatens to engulf the entire French capital.

Whether Ubisoft makes sense for Arkane is another matter. The French publisher hasn't had a good 2026 either, having closed studios and laid off hundreds over the course of the year, which makes a bid for a studio Microsoft is divesting a bit of an awkward fit. On the other hand, there’s some history here. Ubisoft published Arkane's Dark Messiah of Might and Magic back in 2006, long before ZeniMax acquired the studio, so this would be a reunion of sorts. The geographic fit is obvious as well, with both companies being French and the consultation process playing out under French labor law.

The open question that would have to be answered is what happens to the studio's rich back catalog. Microsoft allowed Compulsion Games, Undead Labs and Double Fine to retain their IP on the way out, which would suggest that Arkane could keep Dishonored and Deathloop in a management buyout, and that a trade sale would carry that IP along. With the likes of Prey and Dishonored sitting dormant under Xbox, their destination matters as much as the studio's.

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