Ubisoft reportedly wants to buy Arkane from Xbox

A new report from Bloomberg says Dishonored developer Arkane might not be as doomed as it appeared last month, as multiple companies have made offers to acquire the studio.

Citing "people familiar with the negotiations," the Bloomberg report says Ubisoft is among Arkane's suitors, as are at least two other unnamed gaming companies. Xbox has also considered selling the studio to its own management, effectively making it independent, although whether that option is still on the table isn't clear.

Despite producing an enviable slate of acclaimed immersive sims over the years (until it was compelled by senior leadership to do otherwise), Arkane fell victim to the Xbox "reset" in July that saw thousands of employees laid off (with more still awaiting their fates) and four studios cast adrift. Arkane avoided being the fifth, reportedly thanks to France's "Florange Law" that compelled Xbox to search for a buyer before pulling the plug.

The deadline for that search was November 13, after …