{"id":37438,"date":"2026-06-30T17:53:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T17:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=37438"},"modified":"2026-06-30T17:53:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T17:53:04","slug":"report-suggests-dishonored-and-blade-creator-confronts-possible-xbox-job-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=37438","title":{"rendered":"Report Suggests Dishonored and Blade Creator Confronts Possible Xbox Job Cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/report-suggests-dishonored-and-blade-creator-confronts-possible-xbox-job-cuts.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p>**Worries Increase for Xbox Studios Amid Expected Layoffs**<\/p>\n<p>As the gaming sector prepares for possible widespread layoffs at Xbox, reports suggest that multiple studios might encounter closures or spinoffs, with Arkane Studios, recognized for its contributions to the *Dishonored* franchise, surfacing as a major worry. This information originates from a report by *The Verge*, emphasizing the fragile status of Arkane as it works on *Marvel\u2019s Blade*.<\/p>\n<p>The report details that internal conflicts within Xbox, especially regarding *Blade*, have raised alarms about Arkane Studios\u2019 future. Initially set for release this year, the game has been delayed until next year because of budget issues. As a result, Xbox is allegedly contemplating the complete cancellation of *Blade*. With this action, the company seems to be leaning towards divesting Arkane Studios, adding it to a list of other studios in jeopardy, including Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion Games.<\/p>\n<p>The potential shutdown or sale of Arkane would predominantly affect Arkane Lyon, following the prior closure of Arkane Austin in 2024 after the launch of *Redfall*. This pattern prompts inquiries about the viability of Xbox&#8217;s studio system, particularly in view of a recent email dispatched to employees by CEO Asha Sharma and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, which characterized the division as \u201coverextended\u201d and \u201cnot sufficiently funded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alongside these studio concerns, Xbox is also executing wider cost-reduction strategies, which encompass severing relationships with third-party contractors and vendors. This plan has led to further job losses and the cancellation of outside projects, such as *Project Fantasy* at IOI Interactive.<\/p>\n<p>As the situation unfolds, studio leadership within the impacted teams is reportedly considering various avenues to preserve their teams. However, the ambiguity regarding Xbox\u2019s future path and the destiny of its studios leaves many in the gaming community uneasy about what is yet to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/report-suggests-dishonored-and-blade-creator-confronts-possible-xbox-job-cuts.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p>**Worries Increase for Xbox Studios Amid Expected Layoffs**<\/p>\n<p>As the gaming sector prepares for possible widespread layoffs at Xbox, reports suggest that multiple studios might encounter closures or spinoffs, with Arkane Studios, recognized for its contributions to the *Dishonored* franchise, surfacing as a major worry. This information originates from a report by *The Verge*, emphasizing the fragile status of Arkane as it works on *Marvel\u2019s Blade*.<\/p>\n<p>The report details that internal conflicts within Xbox, especially regarding *Blade*, have raised alarms about Arkane Studios\u2019 future. Initially set for release this year, the game has been delayed until next year because of budget issues. As a result, Xbox is allegedly contemplating the complete cancellation of *Blade*. With this action, the company seems to be leaning towards divesting Arkane Studios, adding it to a list of other studios in jeopardy, including Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion Games.<\/p>\n<p>The potential shutdown or sale of Arkane would predominantly affect Arkane Lyon, following the prior closure of Arkane Austin in 2024 after the launch of *Redfall*. This pattern prompts inquiries about the viability of Xbox&#8217;s studio system, particularly in view of a recent email dispatched to employees by CEO Asha Sharma and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, which characterized the division as \u201coverextended\u201d and \u201cnot sufficiently funded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alongside these studio concerns, Xbox is also executing wider cost-reduction strategies, which encompass severing relationships with third-party contractors and vendors. This plan has led to further job losses and the cancellation of outside projects, such as *Project Fantasy* at IOI Interactive.<\/p>\n<p>As the situation unfolds, studio leadership within the impacted teams is reportedly considering various avenues to preserve their teams. However, the ambiguity regarding Xbox\u2019s future path and the destiny of its studios leaves many in the gaming community uneasy about what is yet to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=37438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}