Marvel’s Blade Is Still In Development Despite Rumors About Possible Cancellation

At The Game Awards 2023, Arkane Studios, famous for the Dishonored series, unveiled the debut trailer for their new project based on Marvel comics—Marvel's Blade—which tells an original story about the well-known vampire. However, since then, there hasn’t been much news about the game, and fans were hoping it would receive proper attention at some gaming event last week.

Despite rumors that four Marvel projects would be showcased between June 1st and 7th, only Marvel's Wolverine and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls were revealed, and even then, separately during State of Play. Moreover, recently well-known gaming journalist Jeff Grubb suggested that Marvel's Blade might be dead, which has understandably disappointed many fans.

The situation turned out to be so serious that the developers themselves got involved. Specifically, one of the X users directly asked Arkane Studios whether Marvel's Blade was still in development. In response to his tweet, the studio's Lead Concept Artist and Art Director Assistant, Jean-Luc Monnet, replied—not with a direct answer, but by posting a GIF from the TV series Breaking Bad, where Walter White says, "Let us cook." This strongly suggests that work on the game is indeed still ongoing.

Please tell me you're alive, Arkane Studios. It's important for my mental health.

In turn, Grubb, who had supposedly announced the cancellation of Marvel's Blade, clarified that it was only his speculation and that, in fact, the game is not canceled, as you can see below:

Whoa. No. I was just speculating here. I've checked since. Sounds like there are reasons we haven't seen it, but those reasons are not because there are problems with the game. Not dead.

Despite its announcement 2.5 years ago, details about Marvel's Blade remain scarce. The game's story is set in Paris, where a quarantine has been imposed due to a vampire outbreak. Blade will have to venture into one of these quarantined zones to confront an unknown threat and uncover the reasons behind its emergence. The game is expected to be a first-person action-adventure with elements of immersive sim gameplay—players will not only follow the main storyline but also have the freedom to explore a semi-open world, uncovering secrets and interacting with its inhabitants. The experience is anticipated to be nonlinear, with a combat system that includes melee attacks, stealth tactics, and firearms.

Interestingly, back in 2018, the studio Don't Nod released a vampire-themed game with a similar concept— Vampyr. In that game, players also took on the role of a vampire in an open world, featuring a comparable combat system and various side quests with choice-driven outcomes, but the events took place in London in 1918.

Are you excited about Marvel’s Blade, the new game from Arkane Studios? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The game is confirmed to be in development for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. The release date is currently unknown.