It is currently chaos behind the scenes at Xbox. It's believed the company is preparing to make widespread cuts that will likely involve the closure of some studios if they can't find a buyer or buy back their own independence. It feels like almost any studio could be in danger of feeling Xbox's wrath, although there's hope today for Arkane and its upcoming Blade game.

Arkane is technically an Xbox studio because it is owned by Bethesda, which, in turn, is owned by Xbox. That means it, too, is at risk of being affected by the Xbox axe and its Blade game joining the growing pile of canceled superhero games. Todd Howard recently checked in on how Blade is doing, though, and he has nothing but glowing things to say.

Blade Looks Good, Todd Howard Said So

"I'm not at liberty to say when [we'll see more]," the Bethesda boss told Entertainment Weekly. "But I saw some stuff just yesterday, and the folks at Arkane are doing a really, really great job." Promising, but there are caveats to Howard's comments, the key one being when exactly he said this.

Even though the interview was published on Monday, Howard's comments were made a month ago, with his most recent trip to Arkane taking place on May 21. The Xbox landscape has changed drastically since then. That was before its summer showcase, and before rumors and reports of layoffs and studio closures started to dominate the Xbox news cycle.

Senua Is Evidence That Blade Isn't Entirely Safe

Just because an Xbox-owned studio is currently working on a big game doesn't mean it's safe, either. Ninja Theory's Senua was one of the bigger surprise reveals during the aforementioned showcase. However, the studio's name has frequently been mentioned when listing studios trying to escape Xbox, and it's even been claimed that Xbox debuted the Senua trailer to showcase Ninja Theory's worth and attract potential buyers.

Although no Xbox studio is safe, it does feel like Arkane might be safer than many others. Not only does it have that extra layer of Bethesda protection, but Howard's comments suggest the Blade team will be allowed to continue their work unaffected. Howard is likely keen to get a game out there with the Bethesda name on it, with nothing new from The Elder Scrolls or Fallout releasing any time soon.

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There has still been no official confirmation from Xbox regarding what it plans to do in terms of potential layoffs and studio closures. That's expected to come in July following the end of Microsoft's financial year. Hopefully, Arkane isn't caught up in what has been described by insiders as an imminent "bloodbath".

Marvel's Blade Like Follow Followed Action Adventure Developer(s) Arkane Studios Publisher(s) Bethesda Softworks Engine Void Engine Franchise Marvel Genre(s) Action, Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse