Arkane Lyon could shut down, leaving 217 staff members at risk of losing their jobs. Microsoft wants to close the French game studio but is still looking for outside help. France's labor review rules give the team a chance to avoid that fate if a deal comes through.
An internal plan calls for the Lyon site to stop work in stages once the staff talks wrap up. Microsoft says it has kept workers and their council up to speed. Yet no firm has stepped in to fund the next stage of development.
Marvel's Blade is where things get quite messy. The vampire action game has not been axed on paper, but Microsoft has made no pledge to pay for its release. A union source claims the project is near completion, despite reports of a delay that pushed its launch further back.
Fans have had few clear details about the game since its debut at The Game Awards. Any firm keen to take over would need more than a deal for the staff. Marvel rights, game assets, and a way to sell the finished title would all need to be worked out.
Xbox chief Asha Sharma had also set out a wider staff shake-up, with 3,200 jobs due to go. Arkane workers learned of their fate soon after that move. Simon, who speaks for Printemps écologique, said the first wave of shock gave way to anger over a choice the union sees as lacking sense.
Microsoft got Arkane through its ZeniMax Media buyout. The Lyon crew made Dishonored and Deathloop, two games that won plenty of praise. Its Austin branch made Prey and Redfall, but that team was shut down after the latter failed to gain much player interest.
Raphaël Colantonio, one of Arkane's founders, had also raised the idea of buying the developer. Whether he meant it as a real offer remains unclear. He leads WolfEye, where staff is making an action RPG with a first-person view and immersive sim features.
Elsewhere, fears about Ninja Theory have raised fresh concern for Senua, despite plans for another game release. Reports about BioWare have added to the debate over job cuts and the health of big-budget game studios.
Jason Schreier has heard that more than one rescue plan is under review for Arkane Lyon. He thinks a full closure may not happen, though he admits talks can still go wrong. No deal is public yet, and the French staff process has not reached a final result.
An internal plan calls for the Lyon site to stop work in stages once the staff talks wrap up. Microsoft says it has kept workers and their council up to speed. Yet no firm has stepped in to fund the next stage of development.
Marvel's Blade is where things get quite messy. The vampire action game has not been axed on paper, but Microsoft has made no pledge to pay for its release. A union source claims the project is near completion, despite reports of a delay that pushed its launch further back.
Fans have had few clear details about the game since its debut at The Game Awards. Any firm keen to take over would need more than a deal for the staff. Marvel rights, game assets, and a way to sell the finished title would all need to be worked out.
Xbox chief Asha Sharma had also set out a wider staff shake-up, with 3,200 jobs due to go. Arkane workers learned of their fate soon after that move. Simon, who speaks for Printemps écologique, said the first wave of shock gave way to anger over a choice the union sees as lacking sense.
Microsoft got Arkane through its ZeniMax Media buyout. The Lyon crew made Dishonored and Deathloop, two games that won plenty of praise. Its Austin branch made Prey and Redfall, but that team was shut down after the latter failed to gain much player interest.
Raphaël Colantonio, one of Arkane's founders, had also raised the idea of buying the developer. Whether he meant it as a real offer remains unclear. He leads WolfEye, where staff is making an action RPG with a first-person view and immersive sim features.
Elsewhere, fears about Ninja Theory have raised fresh concern for Senua, despite plans for another game release. Reports about BioWare have added to the debate over job cuts and the health of big-budget game studios.
Jason Schreier has heard that more than one rescue plan is under review for Arkane Lyon. He thinks a full closure may not happen, though he admits talks can still go wrong. No deal is public yet, and the French staff process has not reached a final result.
