Xbox would probably spend more money shutting down Arkane Lyon than it would trying to finish and release Marvel's Blade, according to a union representing workers from the beloved imsim studio.
In a statement posted to the STJV (Syndicat des travailleureuses du jeu vidéo) website, the French union claimed that development on Marvel's Blade is "going fine" and is shaping up to be on par with Arkane's widely acclaimed gameography. By choosing to part ways with and potentially close the famed studio, the union says Microsoft is "sabotaging the game it funded."
After Xbox's sweeping job cuts and divestments from several first-party studios, Arkane was recently given until December to find a new buyer and ensure its future. Ubisoft Entertainment (Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six) is reportedly one of the companies interested in buying the studio behind Dishonored, Prey and the upcoming superhero adaptation, though nothing has been finalised yet.
The union also blamed many of the studio's problems on Microsoft - a hiring freeze that lasted more than a year supposedly inflated the game's budget and caused additional internal delays. "Microsoft now use those same delay and additional costs as a reason to close the studio," the statement said.
"Even this closure itself is done against any financial logic, as closing Arkane today would probably be more expensive than finishing the game," it continued. ] The decision to close Arkane is solely the brutal application of a never-ending search for maximum profit optimization. Arkane is profitable.
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