Reprieve for Arkane Lyon: Microsoft extends search for a buyer to mid-December
The Dishonored studio gets one more month. Microsoft says it is also looking for a partner to help complete the ongoing development work.
Archive image · Photo: Gamelab Congreso Videojuegos / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
French studio Arkane Lyon has bought itself more time: Microsoft has extended the deadline for finding a buyer by one month, as the company confirmed to PC Gamer. According to the newspaper Le Monde, the deadline had been November 13; according to VGC, it now runs until mid-December. Microsoft said it is exploring options, including finding a partner to support the studio through the development work still ahead. The extension is a defined one, and the works council will be kept informed throughout.
The background is France’s Florange law: companies with more than 1,000 employees must look for a buyer before closing a site. Le Monde had reported that Microsoft wants to close the Lyon studio, putting more than 200 jobs at risk. According to the Printemps Écologique union, the action game Marvel’s Blade, which Arkane announced in 2023, is almost finished. PC Gamer, however, cites sources close to the studio as saying development still has years to go.
Arkane Lyon’s games include Dishonored 2 and, most recently, Deathloop (2021). Who might buy the studio remains unclear. The decision comes amid major cuts at Xbox, where around 3,200 jobs are set to go over twelve months, according to Engadget.