Ubisoft Makes Bid to Purchase Xbox Studio on the Brink of Closure

Bloomberg reported on a new development regarding the future of Arkane, the studio behind the acclaimed Dishonored series. According to the source, multiple companies, including Ubisoft, have shown interest in acquiring the studio. Xbox, the studio's current owner, has also considered selling Arkane to its own management, effectively making it independent.

However, the possibility of this option still being on the table remains uncertain. Arkane, despite producing a series of acclaimed immersive sims, fell victim to the Xbox reset in July, which led to thousands of layoffs and the closure of four studios. However, Arkane was saved from being the fifth studio to be closed, thanks to France's Florange Law which required Xbox to find a buyer before proceeding with the closure.

The deadline for this search was November 13, but Xbox extended it by a month to explore options, including finding a partner to support Arkane's ongoing development work. The report suggests that Arkane's expertise in immersive sims could be a good fit for some of Ubisoft's biggest properties, such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and even Splinter Cell.

Despite Ubisoft's own ongoing financial struggles, the studio's expertise could be a good fit for some of Ubisoft's biggest properties.