Ubisoft has reportedly offered to buy Arkane Lyon from Xbox

Ubisoft has reportedly put in a bid to acquire Dishonored and Deathloop studio Arkane Lyon from Xbox.

This is according to Jason Schreier of Bloomberg, who reports that several companies have put in bids to buy the Dishonored developer. The only company named in the report is Ubisoft, but Schreier reports that “at least two other gaming companies” have put in their own bids.

The sale of Arkane comes as part of Xbox‘s ongoing “reset” under CEO Asha Sharma. This has seen mass layoffs throughout Xbox, and some studios either merging, slimming down, or being spun off.

According to Bloomberg, Arkane could also be among the latter, as it’s further claimed that Xbox is considering selling Arkane to its own management. This would make the studio independent, much like Double Fine and Compulsion Games.

If this report is accurate, then Arkane could still release Marvel’s Blade, which was announced in 2023. The game’s future remains uncertain while Xbox seeks to turn the studio over to new owners. It is also unclear what will become of Arkane’s other IPs, including Dishonored and Deathloop, should it be sold, although Xbox has allowed other studios to hold onto theirs.

Considering Ubisoft’s own restructuring in recent months, many will be fearful of what this bid would mean for Arkane. Ubisoft-owned studios have faced a steady stream of layoffs, with multiple projects cancelled, including a Prince of Persia remake that appeared to be close to launch.

However, Arkane’s prospects as an independent studio might not be much brighter, given the issues that many are running into to try and secure project funding. In fact, after going independent, Double Fine rolled out layoffs of its own.

While we wait to hear what fate befalls Arkane, Ninja Theory is also trying to secure a buyer. Last month, it was reported that layoffs had begun, as two separate deals to save the studio had fallen through.