Arkane Lyon, the developer of Dishonored 2 and Deathloop, is reportedly facing a closure deadline of November 13 if a buyer isn't found, according to French outlet Le Monde. The studio's 217 employees are working under the Sword of Damocles, with negotiations on the redundancy plan going badly, a union rep said. The union is pushing for more time to give the discussions a better chance of reaching a conclusion, and is hopeful of saving the studio and its jobs. Several forms of takeover are being considered, suggesting buyers are interested in the immersive sim studio.
Microsoft didn't respond directly to the report, but sent a statement saying they continue to explore different options for Arkane as part of the ongoing French consultation process. The union is currently pushing for re-employment of affected staff to other studios within Xbox, but negotiations are ongoing until October 30, and the union hasn't ruled out seeing Microsoft in court. The concern is that Marvel's Blade may never see the light of day, as the project's future is uncertain due to the studio's potential closure.