Arkane union says closing the studio "would probably be more expensive" for Xbox than simply finishing development on Marvel's Blade
The French union says closing Arkane would cost more than finishing Marvel's Blade and is seeking stronger protections for 217 workers.
- On Tuesday, the French union STJV criticized Microsoft for threatening to close Arkane Lyon, accusing the company of "sabotaging" the Marvel Blade project despite development currently "going fine."
- Microsoft's 19-month hiring freeze artificially inflated the budget and caused internal delays for the 25-year-old studio, prompting the company to set a December deadline for finding a new buyer.
- With 217 employees facing impact, the union argued that shutting down operations now would likely prove more expensive than simply finishing and releasing the upcoming superhero game.
- Ubisoft Entertainment is reportedly bidding for the studio, but the union is demanding redundancy payments of roughly $225,000 per employee if acquisition talks fail.
- The STJV is demanding that employees have a say in choosing a potential buyer to prevent future job cuts, noting that Compulsion Games and Undead Labs achieved independence through layoffs.
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13 Articles
Arkane union says closing the studio "would probably be more expensive" for Xbox than simply finishing development on Marvel's Blade
Xbox would probably spend more money shutting down Arkane Lyon than it would trying to finish and release Marvel's Blade, according to a union representing workers from the beloved imsim studio.
Arkane Devs Fear Studio Shutdown Could Still Happen Despite Attracting Buyers
In case 2026 hasn’t already been an indication, not everything is copacetic in the game development industry. Today, union workers for Arkane Studios are unleashing a torrent of allegations leveled at Microsoft in a letter posted on the website of Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV), an independent French video game union. The letter […]
Arkane's union accuses Microsoft of sabotaging the firm, demanding greater protection and compensation for workers. While Arkane Lyon remains in search of a definitive buyer, the fate of the French firm and Marvel's Blade always appear uncertain. To cast further shadows on this difficult situation are the accusations by Arkane's union, according to which Xbox herself sabotaged the development of the new study game.
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