The last title in the Dishonored series is nearly a decade old, but players are hopeful that incoming bids to buy developer Arkane Studios could revive the franchise and keep its other projects alive. Currently, no one knows if more excellent stealth action adventures are within the works at the studio, but the developer’s current struggles with Marvel’s Blade are well known. After a forced sale of the company by Xbox following that group’s “reset” process, the future of Dishonored games now have a deadline attached to them, but renewed interest in the franchise could help save their studio in the end.
The last mainline Dishonored game was Dishonored 2, with the spin-off expansion Dishonored: Death of the Outsider coming out only a year after the sequel. Following that series, Arkane Studios created the time loop action-adventure shooter Deathloop, before collaborating with Marvel Games to start production on Marvel’s Blade. With the MCU failing to create a Blade movie after multiple failed scripts and lead actor Mahershala Ali moving on with other projects, Marvel’s Blade was theorized to be cancelled entirely before Xbox made it clear where Arkane Studios stood within its umbrella.
Following up 2012’s Dishonored was no easy feat back in 2016, as Dishonored 2 had to live up to a stealth-action game that was revolutionary for its time. The original Dishonored had the DNA of stealth-oriented masterpieces like Thief, with a stronger emphasis on creativity by giving players supernatural powers for dealing with large enemy groups. Dishonored 2 mostly stuck to what made the original Dishonored great, expanding upon gameplay systems and building upon its world for a more varied story driven by player choices.
The biggest shift in Dishonored 2 came in how players could choose one of two playable characters — former protagonist Corvo Attano or a grown-up Emily Kaldwin from the first game. Emily and Corvo can both approach the missions of Dishonored 2 in a non-linear way, with each character having their own unique story within the Victorian themed world. The first Dishonored was innovative for how it placed players in stealth sandboxes for its levels, allowing you to figure out your approach for a broad goal. For example, you might need to interrogate someone in a heavily guarded estate. Players could use their powers to brute force their way through all enemies, take down targets one at a time, or sneak past everyone for a more passive route.
What makes Dishonored special was the nature of the supernatural powers at your disposal, from controlling swarms of rats to slowing down time. Teleportation and limited mana resources created a constant ebb and flow to Dishonored‘s gameplay, where you have to pick and choose the best moments to unleash your abilities. This carried over the sequel, which improved the challenge of the first game in several ways. More intricate level design combined with extra layers to mission structure, with smarter AI creating new obstacles for players to work around. While the story isn’t anything stellar, a great voice cast makes it memorable compared to the first series title.
Despite the good qualities of Dishonored 2, from its Chaos morality system to its improved stealth mechanics, Arkane Studios hasn’t returned to the series since the Death of the Outsider spin-off. This is partly due to moving on with games like Deathloop, but Marvel’s Blade has undoubtedly consumed the studio’s time the most ever since their acquisition by Xbox in 2021. The studio has suffered problems beyond prolonged production since Dishonored 2, with its sister studio Arkane Austin shutting down completely only two years ago. The huge restructures at Xbox have only accelerated funding issues the company has faced, prompting to their separation from Microsoft as a whole.
It’s been three years (since 2023) following the announcement of Marvel’s Blade, with no footage other than the initial teaser and reassurances from Arkane Studios. To have a Blade game with mechanics and systems similar to Dishonored 2 or Deathloop is an exciting premise, even if the MCU movie is no longer a possibility for synergy. The mature action-adventure formula of Dishonored fits the character of Blade perfectly, with his vampiric powers tapping into that same supernatural feel of Arkane’s flagship series. However, should Marvel’s Blade get cancelled, its inspirations from Dishonored will likely take that series down along with it.
The best news surrounding the Dishonored games is that Arkane Studios is close to finding a buyer following its split from Xbox. Currently, companies like Ubisoft are in prime position to acquire the studio before its November 13, 2026 buyout deadline established by Xbox. Two other unnamed companies are also in the bidding process, meaning that there is a considerable fight for the studio to stay alive. This would not only mean that all the work on Marvel’s Blade could continue for an incoming release, but also that a new Dishonored project could be approved to release within the next few years.
After nearly a decade since the last Dishonored, it’s easy to see another one being a priority at Arkane following Marvel’s Blade, as whatever company gets Arkane will likely want some return to form. Simply holding the IP will incentivize a buyer to push a new Dishonored project forward, with perhaps more urgency than if Arkane had simply remained attached with Xbox. For now, it’s unclear whether Dishonored 2 will remain the end of the series, but fans can be optimistic about the franchise’s future if Arkane Studios finds a connection soon.
What company do you want to see approve a new Dishonored project? Let us know in the comments below!
