Ubisoft reportedly among the bidders for Arkane Studios

A December deadline for the Deathloop studio's sale looms.

With a December deadline rapidly approaching, multiple bidders appear to have lined up to try to negotiate a deal for Arkane Studios (a.k.a. Arkane Lyon). Among the parties who are looking to add the makers of Deathloop and the upcoming Marvel's Blade to their roster appears to be publisher Ubisoft.

The report comes from Jason Schreier at Bloomberg. Schreier notes that Ubisoft is one of three gaming companies who have submitted bids for Arkane Lyon. The other two bidders have not been identified by Schreier's sources. Terms of any potential offer were not disclosed.

Originally, there was a November 13 deadline in place for Arkane to find a buyer before French protections from outright mass layoffs elapsed. That deadline was later extended to December 13. Xbox is reportedly weighing all options for Arkane, including a sale to the studio's own management. At least 217 jobs within the Arkane Lyon offices hinge on any prospective sale's outcome and all of them could be eliminated if Xbox ultimately decides to shut the studio down.

Xbox has already laid off hundreds with additional layoffs already promised for the future. It paints a dreary picture for the company, even as Xbox tries to plow ahead with rosy-colored Elder Scrolls 6 announcements. Prospective buyer Ubisoft, meanwhile, hasn't had the best 2026 either, having closed studios and laid off hundreds over the course of this year.

Arkane Studios' fate is one of the biggest stories in gaming heading into the end of 2026. Be sure to watch the Arkane Studios topic page as Shacknews stays on top of the latest events.

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