Blade's edge.
Arkane Studios, which spent the last several months in limbo following Xbox's decision to divest itself from the studio, has apparently received buyout offers from several bidders.
Arkane was recently given until December to find a buyer and avoid closure, an extension from the previous November deadline, thanks to union efforts. Now, according to a Bloomberg report, a few companies have offered to buy Arkane from Microsoft.
The report names French publisher Ubisoft among at least three companies currently in talks with Microsoft to acquire the French studio. No decision has been made, however. The report also said Xbox considered selling Arkane to its management.
Should any of these offers be accepted, it would mean saving Arkane from closure, potentially saving up to 217 jobs and allowing the team to finish Marvel's Blade, which recent reports suggested is nearing completion. Bloomberg, however, said the game is "expected to be released within the next year or two", so it may not be as close as we think.
Arkane is one of several studios Xbox divested itself from as part of CEO Asha Sharma's big plan to reset the business, which saw over 1,600 job cuts with a further 1,600 to be made by the end of the fiscal year.
Studio divestitures include Psychonauts studio Double Fine, South of Midnight studio Compulsion Games, and State of Decay studio Undead Labs - which have all managed to go independent. Hellblade developer Ninja Theory and Arkane had the biggest question marks hanging over them, with Ninja Theory's fate seemingly the most dire after failing to find a buyer.
Given the December deadline Arkane was granted, we're likely to learn the identity of the studio's new owner in the near future.
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Extracted and lightly reformatted for readability. · Source: pt