Marvel fans are eating good right now when it comes to new games. Spider-Man 2 takes Insomniac Games’ take on the web-head to another level, and we’re sure the same will be said of Marvel’s Wolverine in the future. Now, we’re turning our gaze toward the greatest vampire in the history of Marvel Comics (sorry, Morbius). Coming as a surprise reveal during The Game Awards, Arkane Lyon is officially working on a new Blade game.
Add Blade to your new Xbox games list, folks, as Arkane is leaving Redfall‘s vampires in the dirt. Instead, Arkane Lyon (Deathloop, Dishonored) is bringing Eric Brooks, the iconic Marvel vampire hunter, to players in a fresh third-person adventure. Set in Paris, the stomping ground of Arkane game director Dinga Bakaba, the first trailer for Blade shows Brooks preparing for action, soaked in a glorious red glow. Blade comes as a form of celebration for the legendary character, as Blade celebrates 50 years of comic glory, according to Marvel Games creative director Bill Rosemann.
Rosemann expresses that “in honor of Blade’s 50th anniversary, we have found the perfect match for the daywalker in Arkane Lyon, a studio of uncompromising artists who continually push the boundaries of game design and innovation.” Arkane Lyon sister studio, Arkane Austin, tested the waters with vampiric thrills in Redfall, though the final result wasn’t enough to sink our teeth into. Despite a Redfall 60FPS update, interest in the game still falters, but now Blade is coming to rectify those woes.
However, if you were hoping that Marvel’s Blade could also end up in the roster of new PS5 games on the horizon, it could be bad news going forward. Despite no official confirmation from publisher Bethesda or Marvel Games, speculatively, Blade could end up as an Xbox exclusive like Redfall before it. This is because of Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, leading games like Starfield to remain only on Xbox consoles, and The Elder Scrolls 6 likely to follow the same path.
As Insomniac Games has proven to generate immense success with Spider-Man 2 as a system seller for the PS5, we wager that Microsoft will be eager to generate the same kind of results. Speaking to the talent of Arkane Lyon, Rosemann says that “in addition to their award-winning talent, it’s their personal passion and bold vision for our half-human, half-vampire iconoclast that makes this collaboration a perfect fit.” Blade will feature an original narrative, and won’t be aligned with the forthcoming MCU movie.