Xbox is reportedly considering canceling Marvel’s Blade as part of its imminent layoffs at the company. Announced back in 2023, Blade is the next major project from Arkane Studios, the developer behind Dishonored and Deathloop. While further news or gameplay footage from Marvel’s Blade hasn’t been shown off since its reveal, the game is likely on a shortlist of the most highly-anticipated titles that Xbox has on the horizon. Unfortunately, it now sounds as though it might never see the light of day.
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According to The Verge, Xbox is mulling over whether or not it should shutter Arkane Studios completely in the coming week. This move would be part of widespread overhauls at Xbox that could also impact studios like Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs. If Arkane is closed, this would also lead to Marvel’s Blade being scrapped as well.
The report goes on to state that Marvel’s Blade is currently on track to release in late 2027, which is later than Arkane previously anticipated. In addition, the game is said to be costing more to make than it was originally budgeted for. Rather than continuing to commit resources to the project further, Xbox is said to now be looking to scrap the title as a means of saving money.
If Marvel’s Blade does ultimately end up getting canceled, it would represent the latest misstep with the famed vampire hunter. Back in 2019, Marvel Studios announced that it was working on a Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali that would be part of the MCU. In the time since, the film has been in development hell, with its likelihood of ever releasing now seeming incredibly slim. For the Blade video game to now suffer a similar fate would be particularly cruel, as it would continue a stretch of very bad luck with the character.
Outside of Blade, Arkane also represents one of the most acclaimed studios that Xbox owns. 2012’s Dishonored and its 2016 sequel, Dishonored 2, are widely considered some of the best first-person stealth games in history, with 2021’s Deathloop also generating widespread accolades as well. As such, Arkane’s prowess has led to expectations for Blade being incredibly high, which would make its demise all the worse.
For now, it’s still uncertain what may become of Marvel’s Blade and Arkane. Xbox is said to be considering mergers and spin-offs of its various studios, which could result in both Blade and Arkane being saved. Regardless of what ends up happening, however, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the coming week is going to be a saddening one for Xbox fans.
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