Green Dragon CVR tells the story how the development of Redfall affected Arkane:

How Redfall Destroyed Arkane

It has become public knowledge that 70% of Arkane’s staff (who “weren’t interested in developing a multiplayer game”) departed during Redfall’s development. Join Alex & Mike for an awe-inspiring and tragic exploration of how Zenimax & Arkane leadership destroyed a world-class studio responsible for numerous masterpieces. 

Thanks Couchpotato!

Gamingbolt reports on a rumour about Arkanes next fantasy IP which suggests a focus on Vampires and is set to be unveiled at E3.

The rumour originated on ResetEra and has since been shared on Twitter by @_XboxNews. Arkane Austin’s new IP is apparently called Omen (or that’s its working title, at least) and has vampires. The game apparently has Spring 2022 target launch window, and will allegedly be revealed at E3 next month, perhaps with a CGI trailer.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Noclip travels to France and Texas to tell the story of Arkane's twenty year history:

The Untold History of Arkane: Dishonored / Prey / Ravenholm / LMNO / The Crossing

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PCGamesN reports that Arkane Lyon is looking to hire a monetization designer.

The posting might not be too surprising within the wider industry, but it does mark part of a significant change in Arkane Lyon’s strategy. Until October, sister studio Arkane Austin had been explicitly hiring for multiplayer projects , but that changed when Arkane Lyon started hiring QA testers with “experience in […] GAaS [games as a service].” Many of parent company Zenimax’s other internal studios – including Bethesda, id Software, and MachineGames – have been making a greater push towards multiplayer in recent years.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

@segmentnext Arkane will be taking a break from Dishonored for awhile.

Despite the critical acclaim that Dishonored 2 got, and the big reaction to the standalone expansion “Death of the Outsider”, Arkane Studios has announced that they will be taking a break from Dishonored games for a while, so the next game likely won’t be coming out anytime soon for you big fans.

Dishonored has, for the past few years since its debut in 2012, been telling us the story of a number of special individuals in a hostile and oftentimes frightening and eldritch world as they are given the power to take revenge on those who wronged them by a being known as the Outsider.

[...]

@GamesIndustry Harvey Smith of Dishonored fame offers advice on how to create memorable universes.

Arkane Studios: "Lots of people have done elves and dwarves. F*** that"

Dishonored creative director Harvey Smith offers advice on how to create a distinct and memorable fictional universe

It's the dream of almost every creator to forge a world that people instantly recognise.

While few gaming realms are as instantly recognisable as Star Wars' galaxy far, far away or J.K. Rowling's wizarding world, there are still franchises set in universes that can be identified by millions of people from a single screenshot, item or phrase.

One of the most prominent examples from the past five years is Bethesda's Dishonored. The series' blend of steampunk and the supernatural sets it apart from any other franchise, thanks in no small part to the vision and leadership of Harvey Smith, creative director at Dishonored developer Arkane Studios.
harvey

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz earlier this year, Smith offered the following advice for creating a distinct world.

"Raymond Loewy, a designer in the '50s, once said what people want is something very familiar but different enough," he explains. "Something new but not too new, not too familiar. That's a tricky combination.

"When you're making something you want to be recognisable, if you find yourself doing exactly what has been done before you need to put a twist on it. We constantly talk about that - bone charms, on some level, are just a system of perks but they work differently. They don't just modify an existing power, they do something different. What's their place in the main world, since most people aren't magic-using assassins?

[...]

Arkane Studios' Raphael Colontonio, who worked on Ark Fatalis, Dishonored and Prey has left Arkane and is off doing, err... something else.

The last 18 years have been an amazing adventure - from starting Arkane in 1999, to making our first game, Arx Fatalis, to joining ZeniMax Media in 2010 and releasing the Dishonored series and Prey to critical acclaim - it is time for me to step out to spend some time with my son and reflect on what is important to me and my future.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the best and brightest people in the industry, and I feel extremely lucky to have been part of this journey with everyone at Arkane.

I’ve lived many magical moments. I’ve also been through the hard times. But, I can say that joining ZeniMax took things to the next level and gave Arkane the opportunity to emerge as a world-class studio. ZeniMax enabled us to make the best games that we’ve ever made. And I know there is even more to come.

ZeniMax strongly believes in Arkane’s ability to make great games, and is committed to supporting the studio. My long-time friend and colleague, Harvey Smith, will oversee the team in Austin and I will be around for as long as necessary to ensure a smooth transition to the new management team in Lyon.

I wish the best to everyone at Arkane, Bethesda, and ZeniMax. Without a doubt I will miss everyone.

As I close, I’d like to thank the Arkane fans for their passion and support. I proudly join them as Arkane Studios' biggest champion, and I look forward to playing the extraordinary new games the studio is working on.

-Raf Colantonio

According to Now Gamer they have information from an insider about Dishonored 2. Now i should point out please take this with a grain of salt.

A number of details about Arkane Studio's in-development Dishonored 2 have been revealed to NowGamer by a source with knowledge regarding the game's development. 

According to our source, Dishonored 2 is being developed at Arkane's Lyon studio, with Harvey Smith - co-creative director alongside Raphael Colontonio on the first Dishonored - heading the project.

Dishonored 2 could be set to star a new protagonist, with our source revealing that Arkane has had discussions about replacing Dishonored's main character, Corvo, with Emily Kaldwin. 

Emily Kaldwin is a child in the first Dishonored, suggesting that Dishonored 2 will be set some time after the original. 

It is likely that much of Dishonored 2 will take place in new areas outside of Dunwall (the City in which the first game is set), though our source could not give us details on exactly what locations the player will visit in Dishonored 2. 

There are four islands that have been established within the fictional world of Dishonored: Gristol (where Dunwall is located), Tyvia, Morley and Serkonos, so it is unsurprising that Arkane is looking at visiting new locations in Dishonored's sequel.

The Verge has a fantastic article titled The Mirror Men of Arkane that examines the formative times of Raf Colantonio and Harvey Smith, their similarities and how their lives eventually intersected. This is a great read, both as a games article and a human interest story:

PC Gamer UK has a video dev diary on Dishonored with Raph Colantonio talking to the camera and some art and new (?) sceens. The blurb:

Arkane studios have released a developer diary introducing their new assassination game, Dishonored. It comes from the creators of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, and is being co-directed by Deus Ex lead designer Harvey Smith, with art from Half Life 2 artist Viktor Antonov. It’s set in a “retro-futuristic” world powered by whale oil, and lets you use a combination of supernatural abilities, gadgets, cutlasses and guns to get past your enemies.

Time for a quick update on Arkane's Dishonored, with GameInformer posting a video titled Modeling Morality: The Chaos of Dishonored a few days back. The intro:

With the concept of a morality system becoming more and more commonplace in gaming, Game Informer's Adam Biessener sat down with Dishonored's co-creative directors Raf Colantonio and Harvey Smith to get a better understanding of the team's approach. The conversation flows from the specifics of Dishonored's chaos system to their thoughts about what works and doesn't work in the implementation of morality systems in other games.

...Part 2 here.

There are a couple of interesting Dishonored articles at GameInfomer - a video interview with art director Viktor Antonov that discusses the look at style (with some concept art to illustrate) and a Choose Your Path mini-game that shows the sort of choices the game offers. Definitely looks interesting if you're into Deus Ex style games.

I still don't know enough about Dishonored to know if we'll cover it in depth but GameInformer has kicked up an interactive map of the gameworld. Here's the intro text and head over to look at the map:

Dishonored tells the story of one man's quest for revenge in an otherworldly industrialized city. While touch-points recall elements of our real world, Dishonored is actually set in a startling and dangerous land quite different from our own.

Though the game is primarily set within the boundaries of a single city, the folks at Arkane Studios feel that there needs to be a depth and authenticity to the game world that can only be provided by creating a complete fiction beyond the borders of that city.

Our interactive map shows the breadth of that vision, detailing elements of the surrounding world from geography and science to religion and industry.

GameInformer has posted a video titled Dishonored: The Heritage of Arkane Studios.

While their eyes are set on crafting a new IP called Dishonored, the team at Arkane Studios can't forget the past. The offices (one in Austin, Texas and the other in Lyon, France) contain developers that have helped create titles like Deus Ex, Half Life 2, and Arx Fatalis. While visiting Austin, we spoke with members of the team at Arkane Studios about their past in the gaming industry and which games and ideas have helped to shape the direction of Dishonored.

GameInformer has a little information on Arkane's Dishonored, which is described as an "assassination game" and a "stealth action/adventure" with references to Thief and Deus Ex in the preview text:

Who are you?
Players take on the role of Corvo, the Empress’ legendary bodyguard. As the game starts, Corvo is falsely imprisoned for her murder. What the corrupt Lord Regent behind the coup didn’t realize is that Corvo is legendary for a reason. He’s not only a skilled combatant accomplished in the art of not being seen, but Corvo has a suite of supernatural powers that combine with his natural talents and unusual gadgets to make him one of the most lethal men in the known world.

Why should you care?
Even if you haven’t played them, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Thief and Deus Ex. One of the main minds behind those two games, Harvey Smith, is the co-creative director of Dishonored along with Raf Colantonio, the founder of developer Arkane Studios. The two share a vision of a game that gives players the power to be creative with their skills and tactics, and invites them to come up with interesting solutions to the obstacles in front of them. Arkane is known for its immersive first-person gaming (Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic), and the power of a talent-driven publisher in Bethesda (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3) behind the team is promising.

Bethesda sent us a press released announcing Dishonored, a new first-person IP from Arkane Studios and the first project revealed since their acquisition by Bethsoft's parent, Zenimax. The game will be unveiled in the next GameInformer and details are currently limited - we certainly don't know if there are any worthwhile RPG elements but comments over the last couple of years from Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith - co-creative directors - would lead us to hope for a Deus Ex-like experience. Time will tell.

BETHESDA SOFTWORKS ANNOUNCES DISHONORED

Arkane Studios Reveals New First-Person Action Game

July 7, 2011 (Rockville, MD) — Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today confirmed that it will publish Dishonored™, an all-new first-person action game under development at Arkane® Studios. Dishonored will be the first project for the studio since being acquired by ZeniMax in 2010.

Under the direction of co-creative directors, Raphael Colantonio, lead designer on Arx Fatalis®, and Harvey Smith, lead designer on Deus Ex®, Dishonored is set for release on the Xbox 360^®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows® in 2012.

Details on Dishonored will be revealed in the exclusive cover story in Game Informer®’s August issue, which ships to subscribers in early July 2011 and hits newsstands on July 15th. Coverage of the game will also continue on the magazine’s website, www.gameinformer.com/dishonored, through the beginning of August.

“At Arkane we have a passion for creating deep, immersive game experiences,” said Colantonio. “To be able to finally share details of our project is both extremely exciting and satisfying.”

The game will also be featured in magazine cover stories around the world throughout the month of August. Check the official site for updated details: www.dishonored.com.

Forums are up at Bethsoft and GameInformer has some vague hints and a single piece of art showing some sort of scifi / cyber influence:

We've seen the game running, and now we share Colantonio and Smith's vision too. Dishonored is the antithesis of a edge-of-your-seat roller-coaster ride. It's a game about assassination where you don't have to kill anyone. It's a game about infiltration where you can set up traps and slaughter the entire garrison of an aristocrat's mansion rather than sneak in. It's a game about brutal violence where you can slip in and out of a fortified barracks with nobody ever knowing you were there. It's a game about morality and player choice where the world you create is based on your actions, not navigating conversation trees.

In a follow up to Arkane's recent acquistion, Gamasutra has an interview with Raph Colantonio and Harvey Smith:

This acquisition means you'll never get to work on [outside properties like] Ultima Underworld, or Half-Life, or Deus Ex. Was that a hard decision?

HS: We routinely describe our current game as a combination of Underworld, Half-Life, and Deus Ex. I think it's important to note that as much as Raph and I love Thief, System Shock, Arx Fatalis, Deus Ex and BioShock, that style of game.

Ultima Underworld is perhaps the patient zero, I would say -- it's not the IP specifically, it's the spirit of what the player gets to do in this atmospheric environment where the player can play with systems, and play creatively.

Thanks, Moriendor!

Do you remember Arkane (Arx Fatalis)?  Zenimax announces they have acquired Arkane, where they'll join Bethesda Game Studios and id as an internal development studio.  The PR only says they are working on an "unannounced title" for Bethsoft but perhaps it's the RPG-ish project hinted at several years ago and lead by Harvey Smith.  Here's the PR:

ZENIMAX MEDIA ACQUIRES ARKANE STUDIOS

Veteran Studio Joins Bethesda Game Studios and id Software as
an Internal Studio for Bethesda Softworks

August 12, 2010  (Rockville, MD) – ZeniMax Media Inc., parent company of noted game publisher Bethesda Softworks, today announced it has completed the acquisition of veteran game developer Arkane Studios.

Founded in 1999, Arkane has offices in Lyon, France and Austin, Texas and is led by co-creative directors Raphael Colantonio, Arkane’s founder and CEO who will also serve as president of Arkane, and Harvey Smith, lead designer on Deus Ex.   Arkane’s first title, Arx Fatalis, was released in 2002 and became a fan favorite with its highly detailed environments and innovative gameplay. In addition, Arkane developed Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (PC version), and has collaborated on a number of high profile game projects, including Bioshock 2. Arkane is currently working on an unannounced project with Bethesda Softworks.

“This is an exciting moment for Arkane. After 11 years of independent development, we couldn’t think of a better publishing partner,” said Colantonio. “We share so many creative values. Joining the ZeniMax family will allow us to grow stronger while staying true to the games we love.”

Arkane joins a group of development studios which includes id Software and Bethesda Game Studios, two of the finest, most respected videogame developers in the world. This deal further underscores Bethesda’s commitment to delivering premier titles to gamers worldwide.

"We are very pleased to be able to bring another experienced, high quality developer like Arkane to the ZeniMax group of studios,” said Robert Altman, Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media. "Raphael and his talented team have earned a reputation for creating immersive, innovative games which enhances our ability to deliver AAA quality games to our many fans."

It would be fair to argue Arkane is of limited relevance to us these days but as one of the four studios working on Bioshock 2 and with the vague possibility they may be working on a new game of interest, here's a profile interview with founder Raphael Colantonio.  Here's an encouraging snip on their next game:

"Wait for next announcements," says Colantonio. "It's gonna be exactly what we want to do. Not a compromised, marketed game. We've been lucky to find a publisher that supports us and understands this kind of game and is supportive of them. The people who like the kind of games that we like are going to be really excited.

"There are companies that do first person shooters," he continues. "There are companies that do sports games. We do first person immersive games with depth. That's what we do.

Unexpected news that Arkane is collaborating with 2K Marin on Bioshock 2.  According to their website, they are helping in the areas  of "design, animation and art".  Another snip:

Here is what Alyssa Finley, producer at 2K Marin, says about Arkane’s contribution to the game :

“BioShock 2 is a world class project led out of 2K Marin that features involvement from a variety of premiere studios from around the world. In the past we’ve been working closely with 2K Australia for our tech needs and Digital Extremes for our robust multiplayer experience. Today I’m proud to say that we’ve added another important developer to the mix. Under the direction and leadership of 2K Marin, Arkane is assisting in the creation of levels that embody the aesthetic and gameplay ideals that make BioShock such a unique and exciting experience”

Thanks dju and stealth!

This is a tangential newsbit but it's been a while since we had any news of Arkane, so I thought it might be worth a mention on a slow weekend.

According to Joystiq, their multiplayer FPS The Crossing has been canned but two projects continue at their Austin studio under Harvey Smith - hopefully one of them the FPS-RPG that was revealed.

Wandering over to their site, they seem to have two projects in development in Lyon, France, based on a recruitment call.  Four projects?  We'll have to wait, because Arkane isn't saying a lot.

GamesIndustry.biz has news that recent project cuts at EA have impacted Arkane.  We don't know what they were doing with EA - it's been a long time since we heard anything about their FPS The Crossing and we know even less about their RPG/FPS with Harvey Smith.  Here's a snip:

Lyon-based Arkane Studios, one of the independent developers hit by EA's recent announcement of staff and project cuts, has told GamesIndustry.biz that the company is ready to move on from the set-back, and that the overarching economic situation could actually benefit indies in the long term.

"We're moving on," said CEO and creative director Raphael Colantonio. "We do have some reserves, some cash that allows us to wait for a while, to find deals and reassign staff. But the right deals - that's really important, to keep the vision of what our objective is as a company, and what our identity is.

"The context right now - the climate, everybody is looking at making sure they'll be profitable, or at least get through the crisis, and we're just one of them. We want to make sure things go fine with us.

But Colantonio, while admitting that the situation was disappointing, was upbeat on the company's future.

"The positive side is that we have the capacity to work on other projects now. To some degree, although it sounds like a bit of a paradox, all these publishers cutting things right now - I think it will eventually benefit the independent developers.

Well, well, well...this an unexpected one.  Although we were disappointed when Arkane switched gears and undertook The Crossing instead of returning to the FP-RPG genre (like Arx Fatalis), Gamasutra has news of their return to an "immersive first-person RPG" from an Austin Game Developers Conference address.  The added twist?  It's being developed at their Austin studio by Harvey 'Witchboy' Smith of Ion Storm fame.  Nothing is revealed of the game other than "Smith mentioned that he was particularly happy in getting back to the kinds of experiences that he helped to design with titles such as Deus Ex and Thief: Deadly Shadows". 

You may recall some time ago we had news that Arkane's next project would be a full-blown MP-focused shooter called The Crossing (story).  Worthplaying has a short bit an another title, although no details are currently known:

An overview of Arkane Studios' CEO Raphaël Colantonio LinkedIn profile reveals that the French development studio is not only working on its Source-powered shooter The Crossing, but also an unannounced new project. No further details were revealed about whether this is in the works at its Lyon headquarters or its recently formed Austin, Texas-based studio.

It looks like Arkane's next project will fall out of our coverage with The Crossing just revealed.  There's little information at present but the graphic at Arkane's site says "Fusing Single Player with MultiPlayer" and a sneak preview in Episode 60 of The 1Up Show apparently refers to it as a "crossplayer FPS" -- you'll have to download the 519Mb video file to find out for yourself.

Update: Thanks to Evil Avatar for pointing out GameVideos has a clip from the mentioned 1Up Show that reveals some form of urban shooter.