Arkane Lyon gets a month more to find a buyer as Xbox seeks a partner for Blade

Arkane Lyon, the studio behind Dishonored, has been given more time. Microsoft says it has extended the consultation period over the studio's future by one month, and it is now looking at whether another company could help finish Marvel's Blade.

For players interested in Blade, and anyone who cares about the studio, it is a small reprieve rather than a rescue. No buyer has been named in the reports.

What changed

Microsoft told PC Gamer that "We have extended the consultation period by one additional month as we explore options, including finding a partner to support the studio through the development work still ahead," according to Push Square. Push Square reports that the cut-off has moved from 13th November 2026 to 13th December 2026.

Pure Xbox describes the same statement and says the process now runs into December at the very least. IGN reports that Microsoft is exploring the possibility of a company coming in to support Arkane Lyon as it works to finish Marvel's Blade, alongside extending the deadline to find a buyer.

Why there is a deadline at all

GameSpot notes that Microsoft announced earlier this year that it was divesting itself of Arkane Lyon and several other developers. Under French law, the company was legally required to spend at least three months searching for a new buyer for the studio.

The original date is reported differently. GameSpot says Arkane Lyon had until November 18 to find a new owner or risk being shut down. Push Square and Pure Xbox both give November 13. Pure Xbox adds that the earlier date had been suggested as a potential deadline, rather than a firmly announced one. All outlets agree the new window runs into December.

What is at stake

Eurogamer reports that Xbox agreed to a union request to extend the negotiations, with 217 jobs at stake. It says the extension is around a month and that the search for a new owner continues. If one isn't found, Eurogamer says, the studio will likely be shut down.

Here is how the situation stands, based on those reports:

• Microsoft is divesting Arkane Lyon and has been searching for a new owner.
• The consultation period has been extended by one month, to 13th December according to Push Square.
• Microsoft is exploring whether a partner could support the studio through the remaining development work on Marvel's Blade.
• If no new owner is found, the studio will likely close, per Eurogamer.

What to watch

The statement mentions a partner to support development, which is not the same thing as a buyer. The reports don't say who that partner might be or whether it would take over the studio.

For now, the practical effect is time. Arkane Lyon has until 13th December, per Push Square, to line something up, and the outcome will decide the studio's future and how work on Marvel's Blade continues.