Arkane Lyon reportedly has until November 13 to find a buyer or close

Arkane Lyon, the studio behind Dishonored and Deathloop, reportedly has until November 13 to find a buyer or face closure. The report comes from French outlet Le Monde, and it says the search for a buyer is not going well.

For players, the stakes are Marvel's Blade, which Arkane Lyon is still working on, and the future of the studio behind Dishonored and Deathloop.

What the report says

According to GameSpot, Le Monde reports that Microsoft has followed the procedure laid out in the Florange Law, French legislation that requires the company to spend at least three months looking for a buyer. Negotiations are going "badly," the report says, and worker unions are trying to buy more time to protect jobs.

IGN notes that the studio is still working on Marvel's Blade with the threat of closure hanging over its 217 employees. Rock Paper Shotgun adds that "several forms of takeover" are reportedly being considered, and that French law makes shutting down or offloading a studio harder for companies like Microsoft than it is in many other countries. That, the outlet says, is why Arkane's fate is still undecided while Blade production nears completion.

Gematsu also reports the November 13 deadline, and Eurogamer says the studio will be closed if the search fails.

How it got here

Xbox announced in July that it was cutting 3,200 jobs and parting ways with four studios: Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, Double Fine and Undead Labs. Pure Xbox recalls that Arkane was mentioned at the time as reviewing "potential strategic options" that could lead to it leaving Xbox ownership as well.

In September, Pure Xbox says, it was mentioned that "consultation with Arkane remains underway and is expected to continue through the end of the year." The Le Monde report points to a nearer deadline of November 13. Eurogamer ties the situation to the layoffs and cuts under Xbox CEO Asha Sharma earlier this year.

Not everyone expects a shutdown

The picture is not entirely bleak. Pure Xbox's story carries an update saying a Bloomberg reporter has said "multiple paths" are being explored. Push Square also updated its coverage to say a journalist would be surprised if the studio shuts down.

Those comments are a counterweight to the Le Monde report, but they are not confirmation of a buyer. Neither Xbox nor a prospective buyer has announced a deal in any of the coverage.

What to watch

• November 13: the reported deadline for a buyer to emerge before closure.
• Union efforts: unions are reportedly trying to gain more time for the studio.
• Marvel's Blade: the game remains in development at Arkane Lyon, and production is said to be nearing its end.

This is a report based on Le Monde's reporting, not an official announcement from Microsoft, so details could change before the deadline.