Published Nov 3, 2026, 5:26 PM EST
Austin Manchester is a writer and editor living in New York City. At Polygon, he covers gaming and entertainment news, reviews new video games, interviews behind-the-scenes talent, and more. He enjoys discovering hidden gems and sharing them with Polygon's audience. Previously, he was the gaming editor for AIPT Comics and has written for other outlets like XDA, How-To Geek, and The List.
He enjoys soulslikes, character-driven RPGs, and third-person shooters plucked straight out of the Xbox 360 era. He also likes to flex his non-video game nerdy knowledge sometimes, whether that's explaining who's who in the new Wolverine game or recommending a comic book series about a sentient sword.
Xbox is 'exploring options' for Arkane Studios
Image: Arkane Studios/Bethesda SoftworksSign in to your Polygon.com account
Microsoft intends to divest from Dishonored and Marvel's Blade developer Arkane Studios as part of its mass layoffs at Xbox and other Microsoft divisions. Because Arkane is based in Lyon, France, Xbox has had to adhere to French labor laws, and was mandated to search for a potential buyer for Arkane.
Assassin's Creed maker Ubisoft has reportedly made an offer for Arkane, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Ubisoft is one of at least three companies to submit a bid for Arkane. According to Bloomberg, Xbox is also considering selling Arkane to the studio's management.
The future of Arkane looked in doubt last month as negotiations for a redundancy plan for potentially laid-off employees were reportedly not going well ahead of a Nov. 13 deadline. That deadline for Arkane to find a new home was extended, and Xbox is "exploring options" for what to do with Arkane ahead of its December deadline, Bloomberg said. Xbox has not accepted any offer at this time.
The future of Marvel's Blade
Marvel's Blade was announced almost three years ago at the 2023 The Game Awards. Arkane has been quiet about it since, and its internal ship date was delayed until late 2027.
Image: Arkane LyonIf Arkane avoids being shut down by Microsoft and gets sold elsewhere, it will likely be able to wrap up development on its game starring The Daywalker. According to Bloomberg, Blade is "expected to be released within the next year or two."
Blade is a fan-favorite Marvel character who's a dhampir, a hybrid of a vampire and a human. He's appeared in Marvel's Midnight Suns, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Marvel Rivals, and more.
