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On the heels of Microsoft’s ZeniMax Media acquisition, it’s come to light that Bethesda-owned Arkane Studios has several job openings available at both its Austin, Texas and Lyon, France locations. The job listings, of which there are many, make note of the studio’s desire to bring in new hires for “a new unannounced project.”
The currently opened positions in Austin and Lyon range from Engine Programmer and Graphics Engineer to Systems Designer and Lead AI Engineer. While the listings don’t offer much in the way of specifics, a few of them do hint at what Arkane might have in store next. As GameSpot notes, the Server Engineer position is meant for a developer with “extensive experience developing online games.” This particular job posting also mentions potential “live service” troubles, indicating that Arkane could be interested in expanding its horizons with regards to online experiences.
In addition, the aforementioned Graphics Engineer posting asks that applicants be familiar with Unreal Engine 4. It’s especially noteworthy since the first Dishonored entry counts as Arkane’s last Unreal Engine-powered project. (Dishonored 2 ran on a proprietary engine based on id Tech 5, while CryEngine powered Prey 2017.)
Of course, this all begs the question of what the development team may have up its sleeve. Arkane Lyon presently remains focused on Deathloop, which is due in 2021 as a timed PS5 exclusive, but the Austin office hasn’t release a new title since Prey. Given that fans are eager to see both Prey and Dishonored explored further, this “new unannounced project” could result in either franchise receiving another installment. A new IP doesn’t sound too farfetched, either.
Because of Microsoft’s recent acquisition, it remains to be seen whether whatever Arkane is working on next will even come to PlayStation platforms. According to Xbox Head Phil Spencer, the company plans to decide such matters on a “case-by-case basis.”
[Source: ZeniMax Jobs via GameSpot]