Arkane Austin wanted to make a new immersive sim before Microsoft closed the studio down, reports suggests
The studio could have returned to its single-player roots
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A new report suggests that Arkane Austin wanted to make a new single-player game, such as aDishonoredsequel, before the studio was closed.
This comes from a newBloombergreport from Jason Schreier, which helps shed more light onMicrosoft’s recent decision toshut down multiple Bethesda Softworks studios, including Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Games.
According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, Arkane Austin - best known for its work onDishonored,Prey, and 2023’sRedfall- had been looking to return to its roots with a new single-player “immersive sim”.
The idea was still in the pitching phase before the studio’s closure, but the single-player project was suggested to be a “new entry in theDishonoredseries”.
It’s uncertain at this time if the pitch could be passed on to another team under Arkane Studios, such as Arkane Lyon.
In the same report, it was also said thatTango Gameworks had pitched a sequelto its critically acclaimed rhythm-actionHi-Fi Rushbefore its shutdown.
Xbox Game Studios head, Matty Booty, and head of ZeniMax studios Jill Braff were both present for a town hall meeting with ZeniMax staff on May 8 to discuss the recent studio closure.
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Booty reportedly praisedHi-Fi Rushbut didn’t give a reason for Microsoft’s recent move, while also claiming Arkane Austin’s shut down had nothing to do withRedfallunderperforming following it’s launch last year.
He later said he feltMicrosoft’s studio system was “spread too thin”, comparing it to “peanut butter on bread”. Booty also said they decided to close Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin’s to “free up resources elsewhere”.
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