Video Games
Arkane Lyon Reportedly Facing Closure, ‘Marvel’s Blade’ to be Cancelled
After yesterday’s news that Undead Labs is rumoured to be facing potential closure (and potentially taking State of Decay 3 with it), another Microsoft studio is facing a similar situation in Arkane Lyon, which is currently developing a title based on Marvel’s Blade.
According to a new report by The Verge, which cites sources familiar with the situation surrounding Xbox and Microsoft, the computer giant is reportedly considering closing Arkane Lyon, joining Undead Labs, Compulsion Games, Double Fine and Ninja Theory. However, Microsoft is also considering selling the studio.
Despite that hope for Arkane Lyon, that reportedly doesn’t apply to Marvel’s Blade, which is facing cancellation by Microsoft. The game was announced back in 2023 at The Game Awards, and was supposed to debut later this year. However, the game’s release has now slipped to “late 2027”, and has also ran over its projected budget.
While all the studios involved have been trying to find buyers in order to avoid closure, South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games has already begun telling employees to look for jobs elsewhere. Meanwhile, Ninja Theory, which had its third entry in the Hellblade series announced during Summer Game Fest in Senua, has already told employees that Microsoft wants to close the studio or sell it.
Not much information on Marvel’s Blade was revealed, other than it was a third-person title to be set in a quarantined section of Paris in the middle of a supernatural emergency. Vampires have emerged, terrorizing the city of lights and forcing Parisians to shelter inside their homes at night to wait for sunrise. It’s up to the Daywalker known as Blade to investigate.
For those keen on following up on our mid-year best-of list for video games, iam8bit and Yacht Club Games are teaming up in a new collection for Mina the Hollower, which not only brings the game’s iconic soundtrack by Jake Kaufman and Yuzo Koshiro to vinyl, but also offers fans some cool merchandise.
Available for pre-order now at iam8bit, the Mina the Hollower Collection includes the soundtrack on 3xLP ($64.99), a notebook ($19.99) and a Keychain Blind Box ($14.99). Those fans looking to have it all can pick up the entire collection in a vinyl bundle with the Mina the Hollower: Bone Up Bundle Edition. All products are available for pre-order today through August 17, with plans to ship in Q4 2026.
The Mina the Hollower vinyl soundtrack is pressed on rich Velvet Purple Splatter Vinyl, and features retro-inspired zoetrope artwork designed by Nimit Malava. The soundtrack also comes with a pair of special 3D glasses that enhances the cover art, paying homage to the retro nostalgia of the old-school, chip-tastic tracks composed by Yacht Club Games’ Jake Kaufman and Yuzo Koshiro.
iam8bit also offers up a series of collectible keychains as part of a Blind Box set. Those who purchase will receive one of six randomized Mina designs rendered in high-quality, squishy PVC rubber, with a Secret Chase Rare in the mix for some lucky buyers. Keychains are available to purchase individually or bundled in a set of three, and purchasing the bundle guarantees three unique keychains.
Lastly, there’s the Mina the Hollower Notebook, a 240-page notebook that replicates Mina’s in-game journal and is brought to life in a forest green faux-leather, with beautiful gold embellishments on its cover.
As mentioned, for completionists, you can grab the entire collection in the Mina the Hollower: Bone Up Bundle Edition, ($89.99). The bundle comes with the soundtrack, one Keychain Blind Box and Notebook.
And if you haven’t jumped into Mina the Hollower, you can find the game on PC via Steam and GOG, PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch 2.
You must be logged in to post a comment.