Summary
Possibly the biggest surprise of last year’s Game Awards, and maybe the most welcome one, Arkane Studios is currently working on aBladegame. An original take onMarvel’s underrated vampire-slaying antihero,Marvel’s Bladewill drop the Daywalker in Paris, seemingly in the middle of an undead infestation. A bit of a departure from Arkane’s previous works,Bladeis set to be a third-person action-adventure game, a genre that superhero video games know all too well.
Though fans have only been given a brief minute-and-a-half teaser trailer and just a handful of concept art images, the hype surroundingMarvel’s Bladeis already surprisingly palpable. With a great developer at the helm, a cult-classic comic book hero in the spotlight, and a whole lot of potential, there are more than enough reasons to be excited forMarvel’s Blade, though it might be a good thing if fans need to wait a little while to see it in action.
Marvel’s Blade Should Take Its Time
Arkane Should Take All The Time It Needs for Blade
The last few years have been a bit of a whirlwind for the superhero video game landscape, with the industry whiplashing fans between some truly excellent superhero titles, and some really disappointing ones. For everyMarvel’s Spider-Man, aMarvel’s Avengerswas waiting just around the corner, and that’s continued right up until now, withMarvel’s Spider-Man 2earning critical acclaim at the end of last year only to be followed up bySuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s dismal receptionearlier this month.
The superhero video game genre is all over the place right now, and it’s more important than ever for Arkane to be allowed to take its time. Video games are harder to make than ever before, and that’s become increasingly true forthe superhero genre, with each critically acclaimed title raising the bar, and in turn, raising the amount of pressure on developers. Naturally, the amount of development time needed for other games to live up to expectations should increase.
Marvel’s Bladehas a whole lot of potential, and Arkane should be given as much time as possible to ensure that all of it is realized. WhileArkane is an incredibly talented studio, this project is unlike anything it’s done before, and there’s presumably a lot more pressure going into a high-profile, licensed game than there is with a game based on an original concept created by the studio itself.
Arkane Can Wait and Adjust Following Blade’s MCU Debut
But there’s one more major reason why Arkane should be given as much time as possible when it comes toMarvel’s Blade, and that’s the upcomingBlademovie. Announced all the way back in 2019 after months of rumors and speculation,the Marvel Cinematic Universeis set to get its very ownBladefilm quite soon, though things are a little uncertain right now. A revolving door of writers and directors and major script issues has caused the MCU’sBlademovie to be delayed countless times, so much so that its main star, Mahershala Ali, almost left the project entirely.
Currently,Bladehas a tentative release date of August 01, 2025, though many industry experts and fans are extremely skeptical about it making that date. But regardless of its eventual release date or its reception, Arkane can usethe MCU’sBlademovieto its advantage. Though it doesn’t have a release date right now, it’s recently been rumored thatMarvel’s Bladetargeting a release window of 2027, which means that it’ll have plenty of time to observe the general reaction to the MCU’sBlademovie. From there, Arkane can determine what audiences liked about the MCU’s portrayal of Blade, and what they weren’t so keen on, and adjust its own version of the character accordingly.
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.
