Ever find yourself reading a French government document and accidentally stumble upon a major gaming leak? No? Well, it happened, and now we know just how ambitious Marvel’s Blade from Arkane Studios really is.
The unexpected source
The revelation comes not via a cryptic teaser or marketing blitz, but from France’s own National Assembly. A report authored by Denis Masséglia, a government official deeply involved in gaming policy, mentions Arkane Studios’ latest project, and although it doesn’t cite Marvel’s Blade by name, the dots are almost too close not to connect.
Discovered and shared initially by journalist Kilian Fichou and later picked up on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit by user AngieK22, Masséglia’s report details funding under the country’s revised Crédit d’Impôt Jeu Vidéo program aka the French video game tax credit initiative.
If your French is rusty, here’s the gist: Arkane Studios’ new game, greenlit in 2023, has a staggering total budget of €94 million, with €91 million spent in France from 2023 through 2026. As of now, that’s roughly $109 million USD.
Is it really about Marvel’s Blade?
To be fair, Masséglia never outright says this game is Marvel’s Blade. But come on, Arkane’s only known in-development title that fits this timeline and scale is Blade. So unless Arkane’s secretly working on another huge AAA project and keeping it ultra quiet, chances are, this is the one.
Here’s why that’s such big news: it reassures fans who’ve been nervously watching Xbox and Microsoft make gut-wrenching studio layoffs and project cancellations over the past few months. One particularly alarming rumour included the shelving of Blackbird, a big-budget MMO shooter from Zenimax Online Studios, a title larger in scope than Blade itself.
Marvel’s involvement doesn’t guarantee safety
Let’s not forget that the Marvel brand isn’t always a bulletproof vest. EA recently canned its Black Panther game, even shuttering the studio behind it, Cliffhanger Games. So even with the Marvel hype machine, developers aren’t immune from the industry axe.
That’s why this tax credit receipt of €91 million is incredibly reassuring. It tells us that Arkane and Microsoft are actively engaged and spending seriously in development. That also means the French government is fully plugged into this title. In today’s volatile AAA landscape, that kind of backing could be critical.
A win for tax incentives, and gamers
Want another reason this matters? France’s CIJV credit program has been steadily growing since major revisions in 2017. Masséglia’s report crows about the improved support structure, noting that ambitious high-budget games like Arkane’s project are a result of these tweaks.
So while we haven’t seen new gameplay or heard about a release window for Marvel’s Blade in a while, this budget news keeps hope — and hype — alive. The investment from Microsoft and Arkane, combined with France’s government essentially vouching for the game’s activity, should give fans reason to exhale a bit.
What this means going forward
Sure, €94 million doesn’t mean the game is bulletproof, just ask canceled projects like Scalebound, but in an era where nothing feels guaranteed, this is one of the strongest signs yet that Marvel’s Blade is still on track and very much in focus.
Until we get real gameplay and an official launch window, updates like these, even when buried in government reports, are something fans can cling to.
Here’s hoping that Blade ends up being more than just a flashy budget number — maybe, just maybe, Arkane’s about to deliver the surprise hit of this generation.