Summary
Disney chimed in on the platform exclusivity questions aboutMarvel’s Blade, clarifying that the game’s choice of target platforms is completely up to Bethesda. While its comments on the matter do offer both direct and indirect insight into the project, they alone won’t be enough to clear up theconfusion that theMarvel’s Bladeannouncement caused among the fandom.
ThenewBladegame fromDishonoreddeveloper Arkane Studioswas announced on December 7, as part of The Game Awards 2023 show. The reveal arrived in the form of an 83-second CGI teaser which ended on the game’s logo, with no mention of its target platforms. This prompted widespread speculation thatMarvel’s Blademight be coming to PlayStation, even though it’s being developed and published by subsidiaries of Microsoft-owned ZeniMax Media.
Whether this will actually end up happening is entirely up to Bethesda, Axios’s Stephen Totilo reports, citing a statement from a Disney representative. The list of the game’s target platforms will thus apparently stay up in the air for a while yet, not least becauseBethesda has already outright refused to comment on Xbox exclusivity questions aboutMarvel’s Blade.
Between Bethesda’s refusal to commit to any target platforms and Disney’s newly shared clarification on the matter, it is plausible thatMarvel’s Bladehas only just entered pre-production. With the average AAA development cycle being around five years long these days, the game might actually end up missing the current console generation, which could explain the lack of platform mentions in its video teaser. The fact that the reveal video included a “now in development” tagline also tracks with the theory that the work onMarvel’s Bladehas only just begun.
But even if the project is still in its infancy, that alone might not have been reason enough for Bethesda to have omitted a generic Xbox logo from its reveal trailer. And although Microsoft allows a great deal of autonomy to its game studios, it’s still somewhat unlikely that platform branding was omitted from the game’s teaser without the company’s explicit approval or direction.
Not Even Bethesda Might Know Marvel’s Blade Target Platforms
The recent legal drama surrounding the now-completed Activision Blizzard acquisition revealed thatBethesda itself is sometimes confused with Microsoft’s platform strategy. So, while it remains to be seen whetherMarvel’s Bladeends up coming to PlayStation, it is plausible that not even Bethesda can answer that question right now. But if Microsoft’s track record is any indication, Arkane Studios' upcoming title does have all the makings of an Xbox console exclusive.
Marvel’s Blade
Marvel’s Blade is in development at Arkane Lyon, which developed Deathloop and Dishonored. It is a mature single-player third-person adventure game set in Paris, where players take on the role of the titular and beloved comic book hero.
