Long-lost Marvel game has three weeks to find a new home or face Thanos' snap

As Doomsday rolls around, one Marvel project is set to be one of the greatest superhero adaptations of all time, while another one faces Thanos's snap.

At the box office, the MCU continued its monopoly over the record charts as Spider-Man: Brand New Day raised the bar beyond what we've ever seen.

But over on the gaming front, the franchise figures have had a hard time maintaining the momentum, especially when it comes to Wolverine's divisive launch.

With more projects in the works, which will complement the double-header of Avengers and Co. films (Doomsday and Secret Wars), the fate of the Marvel gaming world hangs in a strange state of limbo.

Specifically, two upcoming titles are causing anxiety in the fandom, as Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra and Blade are struggling to get over the line.

The latter especially is being highlighted this weekend, as positive news about its production stages has been met with a ticking time bomb that could cause the game to be blipped from existence as easily as Thanos' own gauntlet genocide.

Marvel's Blade devs offer new update, but time is ticking

Hailing from the developers behind Dishonored and Deathloop (Arkane Studios), Marvel's Blade was announced back in 2023 and has barely been seen since, leading to growing fears of its cancellation.

Yet, after recent positive news, the game has reportedly been left fighting for its life, as it has been revealed that it has just three weeks to find a new backer or risk being lost to the gaming industry's ever-growing snap of studio closures.

However, a new report has claimed that the game could actually be nearing the end of production.

According to French newspaper Le Monde, via Gematsu, Arkane Lyon has until November 13 to find a buyer before Microsoft's plans to close the studio could move forward.

The studio, which employs around 217 people, was reportedly informed in July that Microsoft intended to shut it down as part of its wider Xbox restructuring plans.

According to the report, a union representative has revealed that production on Marvel's Blade is reportedly nearing its end.

They also reportedly described the prospect of the project never being completed as a "monumental waste", highlighting the creative, human and commercial cost of abandoning a game at such an advanced stage.

That's a pretty grim situation for a team responsible for some of gaming's most beloved immersive adventures. But the potential loss of Marvel's Blade is what makes this particularly painful.

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There may still be a glimmer of hope, though.

Microsoft has reportedly confirmed to Le Monde that it is actively seeking a partner to support the next phase of development and bring Marvel's Blade to market.

That doesn't mean a deal is guaranteed, nor does it confirm that a new owner has been found.

But it does suggest that the game's future isn't necessarily sealed shut just yet.

Arkane's founder, Raphaël Colantonio, has also floated the idea of buying the studio back from Microsoft, although it's unclear whether the suggestion was serious.

With the November 13 deadline approaching, time is certainly running out.