Ubisoft enters the bidding to acquire Arkane Studios from Microsoft

Ubisoft and at least two other unnamed gaming companies have submitted offers to buy Arkane Studios from Microsoft, according to a report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. The Dishonored developer faced potential closure as Microsoft looked to divest studios during a broader Xbox restructuring, but a sale now appears much more likely as suitors step forward. [2][3]

Microsoft had previously faced a November 13 deadline under France's Florange Law to find a buyer before shuttering the French studio, but the company extended that cutoff by a month to evaluate potential partners. Microsoft has also weighed selling Arkane directly to its own management team to make it independent, though no final agreement has been reached. [2][3]

Arkane is currently developing Marvel's Blade, an upcoming title announced in 2023. According to Bloomberg, an acquisition would likely keep development on track and allow the game to launch within the next few years without major disruption. [2][3]