Arkane Studios' financial statement for the last year is out, and it looks like Marvel's Blade might have entered full production at the end of 2024.
One particular line in the documents mention that "the production phase of a AAA game project was able to be launched at the end of 2024, following the validation of the prototype," via machine translations.
Of course, that's vague enough to be about any game, but the report also reveals the developer employs around 190 people, so it probably doesn't have the bandwidth to co-develop two AAA games simultaneously. Stand down, Dishonored 3 hopefuls.
Like me, you might have raised an eyebrow at the date because the studio actually announced it was adapting the superhero vampire hunter a full year before at The Game Awards 2023. But I'm guessing the "validation of the prototype" likely refers to its pre-production phase, and as we've seen from CD Projekt Red's transparency, pre-production can sometimes last years.
A Deathloop developer also previously suggested that Marvel's Blade was being worked on in some capacity a full two years before its first trailer, so make of that timeline what you will.
There is also the question of Dishonored 3, which was accidentally leaked in a Microsoft court document before Marvel's Blade's reveal, alongside the now-released Oblivion Remastered. It's entirely possible the imsim giant experimented with a few concepts after its 2021 FPS Deathloop, including a sequel to its biggest hit, before landing on Blade. (As much as I'd love another installment in the excellent stealth series.)
Either way, it doesn't seem like Arkane Studios' next game will be sneaking up on us anytime soon.
For now, check out some new games of 2025 that aren't as shrouded in mystery.
