Ubisoft and at least two other companies are interested in buying Arkane, according to new report
Arkane Studios, the Lyon-based developer divested by Xbox earlier this year, is fielding multiple acquisition offers as it races against a December deadline to find a new owner or face closure. According to a Bloomberg report, Ubisoft is among at least three companies in active negotiations with Microsoft to acquire the studio. The report also indicates that Microsoft is exploring the possibility of selling Arkane back to its management team.
The extended deadline comes after union efforts secured an additional month for the studio to secure a buyer, pushing the original November cutoff to December. This reprieve reflects French labor law requirements that mandate consultation with the Social and Economic Committee before large-scale layoffs can proceed. Arkane’s fate directly impacts the future of Marvel’s Blade, an in-development superhero title announced in 2023 that the studio is currently working on.
The acquisition uncertainty comes amid a broader wave of Xbox studio restructuring that began this summer. While most other divested developers have either become independent studios or faced closure—including Ninja Theory, which is expected to shut down after acquisition deals fell through—Arkane represents a particularly high-stakes case due to its established development track record and the high-profile Marvel project in progress. No deal has been finalized yet, leaving the studio’s future hanging in the balance.