It’s been quite a week in the world of gaming. With Xbox layoffs looming and PlayStation facing significant backlash for its plans to stop printing game discs, we could all use some good news. And while it’s too soon to say for sure, the latest update from Xbox-owned studio Arkane could well be good news for Marvel’s Blade. Rumors that Arkane Studios could be shut down amid Xbox’s restructuring led many to fear the superhero game would be cancelled. Now, it seems like Arkane may well live to see another game.
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On July 4th, Windows Central writer and reliable insider Jez Corden reported that Arkane Studios has hired a new president. Specifically, MachineGames studio director and co-founder Jerk Gustafsson will reportedly step into the role. Arkane’s previous president, Leonard Bendel, has apparently resigned. This could well be a shift towards keeping Arkane Studios open and working on Marvel’s Blade.
Arkane Studios Appoints New President, Potentially Saving The Studio & Marvel’s Blade
Many were surprised to learn that Xbox was considering shutting down production on Marvel’s Blade. After all, the game is one of the most anticipated titles on the docket for Xbox. It comes from a studio with a solid track record and has the Marvel name attached. But given the lack of true updates since Marvel’s Blade was announced in 2023, development seems to be going more slowly than Xbox would like. At a time when the company is seriously trying to cut its spending, that has supposedly put Arkane and Marvel’s Blade on the list of at-risk studios and projects.
Earlier this week, reports suggested Arkane was among the studios negotiating with Microsoft to avoid closure. If that’s true, the studio’s decision to appoint a new president could be a positive sign for Marvel’s Blade. Though the news was released late in the day on July 3rd, the leadership change reportedly happened on June 30th. That’d put this change around the same day we learned that Xbox and Arkane were supposedly in negotiations for the studio’s future.
Reading between the lines, it could be that appointing new leadership was part of those conversations with Xbox. If that’s the case, Gustafsson’s new role as Arkane Studios president could give the studio more time to work on Marvel’s Blade. This could be part of restructuring the studio rather than shutting it down. If so, that would likely be in service of seeing its biggest project through, rather than cutting losses and scrapping the superhero game altogether. That said, no reason for the leadership change has been confirmed. So, it doesn’t necessarily mean Arkane is safe come next week’s anticipated layoffs.
The last we heard, Marvel’s Blade is aiming for a 2027 release date. That’s a bit later than originally planned, but it’s still better than outright cancellation. If indeed this leadership change means Arkane is safe from a full shutdown, fans likely still have a new Marvel superhero game to look forward to after Marvel’s Wolverine. And after the week we’ve had, we’ll take our good news where we can get it.
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