Xbox weighs canceling Blade game and shuttering Arkane
Xbox weighs canceling Blade game and shuttering Arkane
Xbox 考虑取消《刀锋战士》游戏并关闭 Arkane 工作室
Microsoft is set to announce a wave of layoffs for its Xbox studios and employees next week. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the layoffs will lead to studio closures or spinoffs, potential mergers of studios, and canceled games. 微软计划于下周宣布针对 Xbox 工作室及员工的新一轮裁员。据知情人士向 The Verge 透露，此次裁员将导致部分工作室关闭或被拆分，并可能引发工作室合并及游戏项目取消。
I understand Microsoft is currently weighing closing at least five studios, including the developers behind Marvel’s Blade. Sources tell me Microsoft wants to cancel Blade as part of a wave of cost cuts and job losses that are planned for the company’s Xbox gaming division. 据我了解，微软目前正在考虑关闭至少五家工作室，其中包括《漫威刀锋战士》（Marvel’s Blade）的开发商。消息人士称，作为 Xbox 游戏部门计划中的成本削减与裁员行动的一部分，微软有意取消《刀锋战士》项目。
Developed by France-based Arkane Studios, best-known for the Dishonored series, Blade was originally supposed to debut later this year according to sources familiar with the game’s development. I’m told the internal ship date for the game slipped to late 2027, and it’s also running over budget. 《刀锋战士》由总部位于法国的 Arkane Studios 开发，该工作室以《羞辱》（Dishonored）系列闻名。据熟悉游戏开发情况的消息人士透露，该作原定于今年晚些时候发布。但我获悉，其内部发售日期已推迟至 2027 年底，且项目目前已超出预算。
While Microsoft is weighing canceling Blade, it’s also exploring options to sell Arkane Studios. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that Microsoft is trying to spin off Compulsion Games, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory, too. GamesBeat reported this week that Microsoft is actively looking for a buyer for Undead Labs, the developers behind State of Decay. If buyers are found for these studios, then they’ll avoid being closed, but sources stress these talks could take months in some cases. 在考虑取消《刀锋战士》的同时，微软也在探索出售 Arkane Studios 的方案。彭博社本月初报道称，微软也正试图拆分 Compulsion Games、Double Fine 和 Ninja Theory。GamesBeat 本周报道称，微软正在积极为《腐烂国度》（State of Decay）的开发商 Undead Labs 寻找买家。如果能为这些工作室找到买家，它们或许能避免被关闭，但消息人士强调，相关谈判在某些情况下可能需要数月时间。
Compulsion Games, the developers behind South of Midnight, is already convinced that closure is imminent and has started telling employees to look for jobs elsewhere. Ninja Theory employees were informed earlier this month that Microsoft wants to close the UK-based studio or spin it off. 《午夜之南》（South of Midnight）的开发商 Compulsion Games 已经确信关闭在即，并已开始告知员工另寻出路。Ninja Theory 的员工则在本月初被告知，微软有意关闭或拆分这家位于英国的工作室。
Beyond the potential studio closures, Microsoft is preparing for a wave of layoffs at Xbox that will drastically reshape its gaming division. These layoffs are due to start on July 6th, according to sources, and will hit most parts of Xbox. Rumors have suggested there could be at least 1,000 job losses, and if Microsoft goes ahead with five studio closures, then that’s at least 500 employees impacted before the wider cuts. 除了可能关闭工作室外，微软还准备在 Xbox 进行一轮裁员，这将彻底重塑其游戏部门。据消息人士称，裁员将于 7 月 6 日开始，并将波及 Xbox 的大部分业务。有传言称裁员人数至少为 1,000 人；如果微软最终关闭五家工作室，那么在更大规模的裁员开始前，至少已有 500 名员工受到影响。
The upcoming layoffs are part of a “reset” for the Xbox division under new CEO Asha Sharma, who hinted about “making hard choices” last month. Sharma has repeatedly warned that the Xbox business isn’t healthy, but also claimed that her “mandate is not 30 percent accountability margins… it’s to be the number one gaming and entertainment company, and that’s what we’re going to do.” 即将到来的裁员是 Xbox 部门在新任首席执行官 Asha Sharma 领导下进行“重置”的一部分，她上个月曾暗示将“做出艰难的选择”。Sharma 一再警告称 Xbox 业务目前并不健康，但她同时也声称：“我的使命不是实现 30% 的责任利润率……而是要成为第一大游戏和娱乐公司，这正是我们要做的。”