Arkane Employees Accuse Xbox of Sabotage, Claim Marvel’s Blade Is Doing Well Despite Microsoft’s Attempts to Shut Down the Studio

The decline of Xbox Game Studios has affected Arkane, one of the most respected studios in the gaming industry today. So far, the studio remains alive at its French headquarters following the closure of its Austin, Texas, office, and its employees are waiting for a buyer.

Yesterday, a report revealed that at least three companies are interested in acquiring the studio and its IP. Ubisoft is reportedly among them, but Microsoft will have the final say.

Amid this latest news, unionized employees have lashed out at the American company and Xbox, accusing them of sabotaging the studio and claiming that Microsoft would rather shut it down than sell it.

Arkane Employees Claim Xbox Sabotaged the Studio to Disrupt Marvel’s Blade Development

Tensions are rising at Arkane Lyon. After all, the French studio operates in a country and society known for fighting fiercely to defend workers’ rights. Amid reports about a possible sale, unionized employees have spoken out against Microsoft and Xbox.

In a new statement from the Video Game Workers Union, Arkane employees claimed they have been victims of sabotage by Microsoft and Xbox for the past year.

According to them, Blade’s development was affected by Xbox’s hiring freeze, which prevented the studio from bringing in additional developers. This led to a series of internal delays, and employees believe Microsoft made that decision solely to get rid of the studio and its latest project.

Arkane and Marvel’s Blade Are Profitable, Employees Claim

Arkane Lyon employees subsequently claimed that, despite internal delays and Microsoft’s alleged sabotage, development on Marvel’s Blade is progressing well.

They also insisted that both the studio and the game are profitable and that neither represents a financial disaster. From their perspective, the only problem is that they fail to meet the American company’s lofty expectations.

Furthermore, employees sent Xbox a list of demands, requesting a voice and a vote in the studio’s sale process. They are also asking for higher severance payments should the studio close, arguing that the current offer is “outrageously low.”

“Today, while work on Blade is going well and the game’s expected quality is on par with what Arkane has accustomed its players to, employees must face the harsh reality that our studio could close because, and only because, Microsoft decided to make it happen, even if that means sabotaging the game it funded.

“The decision to close Arkane is nothing more than the brutal application of an endless pursuit of maximizing profits. Arkane is profitable. It’s simply not profitable enough for Microsoft.”