STJV union says Xbox sabotaged Blade development with hiring ban

By One Percent LowsNov 4, 2026, 2:17 PM ETCovered by 4 outlets

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TL;DR

The STJV union claims Xbox hindered Marvel's Blade by banning new hires for 19 months while the company considers closing Arkane.

The STJV union representing Arkane workers says Xbox sabotaged the development of Marvel's Blade. The union claims Microsoft imposed a 19 month ban on hiring new staff. While STJV says work on the game is going fine, it alleges internal delays were artificially caused by this hiring freeze.

STJV union says Xbox sabotaged Blade development with hiring ban

Marvel's Blade · official art via IGDB

Reports say Xbox is considering closing Arkane entirely or selling the studio to buyers like Ubisoft. STJV argues the studio is profitable and that closing it would be more expensive than finishing Blade. The union is demanding higher redundancy payouts, which Arkane calls outrageously low, and a say in any potential acquisition. Xbox has not responded to the claims. This situation follows a reset at Xbox led by CEO Asha Sharma.

STJV union says Xbox sabotaged Blade development with hiring ban

TL;DR

Earlier coverage