Overview
- This week Bloomberg reporting said multiple companies have submitted offers for Arkane Lyon, with Ubisoft identified by name and at least two other unnamed firms also bidding.
- Xbox has not accepted any proposal and told reporters it is exploring options ahead of a December 13 deadline set by French works‑council consultation rules.
- Unionised staff at Arkane’s STJV say work on Marvel’s Blade is progressing but accuse Microsoft of a 19‑month hiring freeze that they say increased delays and costs and demanded stronger redundancy and redeployment protections.
- If a sale is agreed, sources say the buyer or a management buyout would most likely let Arkane complete and commercialise Marvel’s Blade, though platform and ownership terms remain unreported and timelines are uncertain.
- The negotiations play out against Microsoft’s wider 2026 ‘reset’, which has spun out or closed other studios and leaves roughly 217 jobs at Arkane at risk if no deal is struck.