Dishonored Co-Creator Publicly Asks Xbox CEO to Buy Arkane Studios
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Arkane Studios founder Raphaël Colantonio jokingly asked Xbox CEO Asha Sharma how much it would cost to buy back the developer amid massive Microsoft layoffs and studio restructuring, sparking widespread fan support.
As Microsoft navigates massive restructuring across its gaming division, the fate of several high-profile studios hangs in the balance. Following an announcement detailing 3,200 layoffs and sweeping changes to developer ownership under Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, Arkane Studios founder Raphaël Colantonio took to social media with a blunt question. He directly asked Sharma how much it would cost to purchase the studio. While Colantonio concluded his post with a playful emoji and a joke about asking for a friend, the interaction immediately struck a chord with the community.
Colantonio left Arkane in 2017 to eventually found WolfEye Studios, but his legacy with the original immersive sim developer remains a massive point of pride for fans of games like Dishonored and Prey. The timing of his remark coincides with a turbulent period for Xbox, which also announced that developers like Compulsion Games and Double Fine are shifting to independence, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs are headed to a new, yet-unannounced owner. Because of strict French labor laws, Arkane faces a more drawn-out process to determine its next chapter, leaving players waiting in uncertainty.
The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from fans begging Microsoft to hand the keys back to Colantonio highlights a deep desire for veteran leadership to reclaim beloved franchises. Even if the buyout query was purely lighthearted, it captures the current frustration of players watching legacy studios weather corporate turbulence. Original reporting from Polygon highlights how deeply the gaming community cares about the autonomy and creative survival of the teams behind their favorite worlds. As platform strategies shift and live service priorities continue to dominate industry boardrooms, player communities are watching closely to see which cherished studios manage to weather the storm.
Tags: Xbox, Arkane Studios, Raphaël Colantonio, Industry News, Microsoft
Original article: Polygon