‘Regarding Arkane… how much?’ — Xbox is falling apart and as thousands more are hit with layoffs, I think it’s time for someone to save the Dishonored and Marvel’s Blade developer before it’s too late
- Xbox has shared plans to cut thousands of jobs as part of a restructuring initiative
- Several studios are also looking for new homes, while others are going independent
- The fate of Arkane Studios is undecided, but I’m desperately hoping it can be saved
If you missed the crushing news, Xbox has announced a major restructuring that includes job cuts for a total of 3,200 workers, as well as plans to ditch four studios as part of what CEO Asha Sharma is calling a “reset” of the gaming giant.
Those studios include Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions, which are going independent once more, while Senua and State of Decay 3 creators, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs, find new ownership.
The fate of other Microsoft-owned developers also hangs in the balance, namely Arkane Studios, which is “beginning required consultation with its Works Council to review potential strategic options,” but due to French labor laws, the process of what happens to the beloved studio will be a longer one, meaning the outcome is unknown.
Following Sharma’s lengthy restructuring announcement, Arkane Studios founder Raphaël Colantonio asked the CEO, “Regarding Arkane… how much? I’m asking for a friend.”
While the post seems to be a joke, many fans are eager to see Arkane and its projects in the hands of a company other than Xbox, with Colantonio, who now runs WolfEye Studios as of 2019, being a top contender.
“Please do it — Xbox and this incompetent leadership will absolutely destroy Arkane, try your best to save what’s left of it,” one fan said, while another replied, “I speak for the entirety of the fan community when I say we would support any sort of crowdfunding needed to help make this happen.”
I’m inclined to agree with the masses because the result of Arkane going defunct would be another huge blow to the industry that absolutely needs to be avoided.
The Lyon, France-based developer is a one-of-a-kind studio that has produced some of the most memorable first-person action-adventure games ever. Chief among them is Dishonored, a rare gem and one of the best stealth titles you can play right now.
It’s the sequel, Dishonored 2, that really made me fall in love with the studio back in 2016. While the sequel didn’t perform nearly as well as its predecessor, it’s by far one of the most underrated games of the 2010s and somehow managed to raise the bar even higher in terms of world-building and intricate level design.
It’s a choose-your-own adventure that still comes to mind today when discussing my favorite gaming experiences of all time, thanks to its meticulously built world, exhilarating stealth combat, and incredible layers of environmental storytelling. Dare I say, Dishonored 2 is even better than the first game…
Then there’s Prey, another game that didn’t quite soar to popularity, but is another example of Arkane’s ability to create stylish and intelligent worlds that feel totally unique and will stick with you longer after you’ve rolled credits.
The studio is currently making Marvel’s Blade, though development updates have been few since its announcement in December 2023. It’s a win-win situation for someone like me who is a huge Marvel and Arkane fan, and I’m eager to see what’s in store; if the teaser trailer is anything to go by, it will certainly look as beautifully stylized as every other title from the studio, but I’m afraid of the outcome under Microsoft’s ownership.
Given other recent events, namely the cancellation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, acclaimed developer of Hi-Fi Rush, Tango Gameworks, which has thankfully now been acquired by Krafton, the closure of Redfall studio Arkane Austin, and not to mention the seemingly never-ending layoffs that have impacted Xbox since the start of the year, it feels inevitable that Arkane Studios will be hit next, but I’m holding out hope for a spin off instead.
If Arkane Studios wants to stay afloat in an environment that seems to be falling apart at the seams, Xbox should do the right thing and cut a deal with whoever is willing to buy and set the developer loose before it’s too late.
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