Arkane Studios' Dishonored 2, released in November 2016, earned widespread critical praise. However, its commercial performance failed to meet Bethesda's standards, especially compared to the less expensive, yet significantly more successful, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Former Arkane Lyon designer Julien Eveillé, in a recent interview with PCGamer, revealed his surprise that the studio was allowed to continue developing games despite Dishonored 2's underperformance relative to Bethesda's benchmarks.  He initially joined Arkane as a QA tester for Dishonored 2.

“It was a bit strange,” Eveillé explained. “I think when Bethesda saw the sales figures, they questioned the investment, considering Skyrim's success with a lower development budget. From an executive perspective, questions like, ‘Why should we continue this partnership?’ are valid. However, we knew we delivered a high level of quality, arguably producing some of the most polished games within Bethesda’s portfolio.”

Eveillé believes Arkane's reputation for quality ultimately saved the studio from premature closure.  While Arkane Austin faced challenges after the release of Redfall, Arkane Lyon continued to deliver, creating the unique and well-received Deathloop.  The studio is currently working on Marvel's Blade.