Microsoft has extended the deadline for finding a buyer or partner for Arkane Studios by one month, setting the new deadline for mid-December. This provides a temporary reprieve from the closure process, but long-term arrangements for the studio, its projects, and its employees remain undecided.
Microsoft stated that it is exploring various options, including seeking partners, to support Arkane in completing ongoing development work. This extension has a clear deadline, and the company will continue to update the Works Council on progress. Arkane was previously reported to be considering "various forms of takeover," but no buyer or partner has been confirmed yet.
Under the previously announced schedule, affected by relevant French legal procedures, Arkane originally needed to find a buyer by November 13, or face potential closure. If a deal or other arrangement is not reached, over 200 jobs are reportedly at risk.
The Printemps Ecologique union, representing Arkane employees, stated that the studio's current project, Marvel's Blade, is actually nearing completion, and that failing to release it would be a "huge waste." The game was announced at The Game Awards 2023.
Arkane's last independently released title was Deathloop in 2021. The studio previously contributed to the Wolfenstein series and developed Dishonored 2 and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider. Currently, the extension only grants an additional month, with final arrangements yet to be confirmed.