Bethesda's President Says He Saw Marvel's Blade in May and Confirms Arkane is "Doing an Incredible Job"

Todd Howard, head of Bethesda Game Studios, provided an update on the highly anticipated Marvel's Blade game, based on the Marvel superhero vampire hunter. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Howard stated that he recently saw what the Deathloop team at Arkane Lyon is working on, but he couldn't pinpoint when fans would get a new update. "I can't disclose when to expect more," Howard joked, "but I saw some things just yesterday [on May 21], and the folks at Arkane Studios are doing an incredible job." This may not be much, but after years of tangible update drought, and amid the tumultuous times Xbox is facing, it's nice to hear anything at all. This update is particularly welcome, considering that rumors of possible cancellation for the project surfaced earlier this month. Fans began fearing the worst after Blade was absent from the Xbox Games Showcase 2026. And with reports emerging in the days following the early June showcase, warning of imminent closures for studios like Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Compulsion Games, Marvel fans feared that Arkane and Blade might be the next targets. There's no denying that Microsoft's gaming efforts are in a period of uncertainty as the new Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma, hits the reset button. IGN has reached out to Microsoft for comment about the reported layoffs, and we also sought comment from Marvel Games regarding Marvel's Blade specifically, but neither responded. The official description for Blade reads: "In Marvel’s Blade, legendary Daywalker Eric Brooks is half human and half vampire, caught between the warm community of the living and the overwhelming force of the undead. From Bethesda and Arkane Lyon, Marvel’s Blade is a mature, single-player, third-person game set in the heart of Paris, currently in development in collaboration with Marvel Games." Marvel's Blade was first announced in December 2023 and currently has no release date. This means we will have gone three full years without an official new look at the project by the time The Game Awards rolls around later this year.