Gaming
Xbox reportedly wants to put a stake in Blade and sell off Arkane, even though Todd Howard says development is going
According to reports from The Verge, Microsoft is considering Arkane Studios as one of at least five studios slated for potential closure as part
Key takeaways
- Arkane is one of at least five studios Microsoft is considering for closure as part of a cost-cutting strategy.
- Blade's unannounced release date has slipped from this year to late 2027 because it is running over budget.
- Microsoft is considering selling Arkane off to salvage the studio and its talent.
- Asha Sharma's Xbox reset will gut the gaming division, with at least 1,000 jobs rumored to be at risk.
- Arkane was doing a really, really good job on Blade.
According to reports from The Verge, Microsoft is considering Arkane Studios as one of at least five studios slated for potential closure as part of a cost-cutting strategy. Alternatively, Microsoft is reportedly considering selling the 26-year-old studio off. Arkane's upcoming game, Blade, has reportedly run over budget and had its unannounced release window delayed from this year to late 2027. This comes amid a broader Xbox reset led by CEO Asha Sharma, which is rumored to put at least 1,000 jobs at risk, despite recent public statements from Bethesda's Todd Howard and Arkane art director Jean-Luc Monnet defending the game's development progress.
In their words
“doing a really, really good job”
By the numbers
- 26
- Years Arkane has been in existence
- late 2027
- New unannounced release window for Blade
- 5
- Studios being considered for closure by Xbox
- 1,000
- Xbox jobs rumoured to be at risk
How it unfolded
- Todd Howard defended Arkane's work on Blade
- Original planned release timeframe for Blade
- New delayed target release window for Blade
Turn stories like this into views
Ravenclip finds the Gaming news, makes the video, and posts it before attention moves on.
Common questions
- What happened with Arkane?
- Arkane is one of at least five studios Microsoft is considering for closure as part of a cost-cutting strategy.
- Where can I read the original report?
- Read the full report at pc_gamer.
