{
  "id": 18164085,
  "title": "\"Arkane is profitable,\" say Marvel's Blade developers in fiery new statement, \"just not profitable enough for Microsoft\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/arkane-is-profitable-say-marvels-blade-developers-in-fiery-new",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-04T18:02:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
    "slug": "rock-paper-shotgun",
    "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/arkane-is-profitable-say-marvels-blade-developers-in-fiery-new-statement-just-not-profitable-enough-for-microsoft"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Unionized workers at Arkane Lyon, the studio behind Dishonored, have released a statement about their negotiations with Microsoft regarding the potential closure of their studio. The statement criticizes Microsoft's low redundancy offer and accuses the company of creating economic conditions that led to the closure threat for Arkane. The developers state that Microsoft froze hiring for 19 months, which caused delays and extra costs, and then used those factors as reasons to close the studio. They also claim that Microsoft systematically deprived Arkane of cash, citing corporate mechanisms that are not fully explained in the statement. Despite this, Arkane is profitable, according to the workers, but not profitable enough for Microsoft. The unionized workers demand a substantial redundancy offer from Microsoft, including €200,000 payments, two years of redeployment support, and compensation up to the redundancy payment for independent workers' contract breaches. The workers hope to reach a deal before the deadline of December 13th, as other companies, like Ubisoft, may be interested in buying Arkane.",
  "summary": "Unionised workers at Dishonored developers Arkane Lyon have published a fresh statement about the progress of negotiations with Microsoft over the studio's potential closure. Aside from calling on Xbox management to make a redundancy offer proportionate to Microsoft's colossal market value, they accuse the parent company of creating the very economic conditions cited as a reason for closing…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "GamesIndustry",
        "title": "Arkane union accuses Microsoft of \"sabotaging\" Marvel's Blade with 19-month hiring freeze",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/arkane-union-accuses-microsoft-of-sabotaging-marvels-blade-with-19",
        "published": "2026-11-04T20:17:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PC Gamer",
        "title": "French game union accuses Microsoft of 'sabotaging' Blade and then using the fallout to justify closing Arkane",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/french-game-union-accuses-microsoft-of-sabotaging-blade-and-then",
        "published": "2026-11-04T20:51:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}