Arkane Studios – 20th Anniversary Celebrations

Arkane Studios is celebrating its 20th birthday. As part of these celebrations, a few days ago we had a chance to watch a documentary dedicated to the French studio and its many projects. That was only the beginning. This article on Bethesda’s official website kicks off the so-called Arkane 20 event that will take us behind the scenes and share exclusive developer interviews along with various giveaways, sales, and more.

Already, you can sign up for the official newsletter, and if you do this before May 31, 2020, you’ll get a copy of Arx Fatalis for free. Then, there’s this article that looks back at Arx Fatalis, its development, reception, and legacy. And this one that takes a closer look at the studio in general. Finally, this article shares 5 key moments in Arkane’s history.

So, here’s the trailer for the event:

And one for Arx Fatalis:

Some additional details:

A Note From Arkane Studios

Twenty years ago, Arkane Studios opened its doors in Lyon, France, eventually branching out to a second studio in Austin, Texas. Twenty years of tears, laughter and perfectionism, resulting in lush worlds, memorable stories and a dedication to player freedom. The teams in Lyon and Austin are delighted to have transported you to so many strange, compelling worlds over these last two decades. From the grim dungeons of Arx Fatalis and the corrupted majesty of Dunwall, to the sun-soaked vistas of Karnaca and the eerie corridors of Talos I, we’re truly honored you’ve chosen to come along with us on these journeys.

Things are difficult for many of us right now, sequestered in our homes, worried and isolated. But we believe games bring people together, and we believe better days lie ahead. We’re happy to be a part your lives, offering you a bit of entertainment to brighten your day, or giving you something deeper, some sublime encounter, drawing us all together through our common joys and our common pains.

We make games because we love them, but also because we thrive on seeing your reactions and hearing your stories. So here’s to 20 more years. May you all stay safe and continue to experience the joy of games. We can’t wait to show you what comes next, both in DEATHLOOP and in other projects to come.

WHAT IS THE ARKANE 20 CELEBRATION?

Join us over the next few weeks for a look behind the scenes at the people behind the games you love. We’ll have exclusive developer interviews and dig into the history of the studio as well as the creation and evolution of their unique development philosophies. We’ll have giveaways, videos, secrets, AMAs, sales and so much more to share with you in the coming days.

JOIN THE ARKANE OUTSIDERS

Want to hear about Arkane news before anyone else? Join the exclusive Arkane Outsiders community and sign up for email communications. Not only will you receive special info and potential access to future betas, but for a limited time starting today you’ll also get a free copy of Arkane Studio’s first game, Arx Fatalis, through the Bethesda.net launcher. Join the Arkane Outsiders and sign up for email communications by May 31 at 10am EST for your copy of Arx Fatalis. You’ll also receive a digital copy of The Art of Arkane artbook when you join the Arkane Outsiders at any time.

Here’s how you can join the Arkane Outsiders and access your free content:

• Visit Arkane20.com
• Click “Join Arkane Outsiders” at the top of the page (this will take you to the sign-up module)
• Create/log into your Bethesda.net account (a Bethesda.net account is required to access Arx Fatalis and the Art of Arkane artbook)
• To receive Arx Fatalis: Click the check box to sign up for emails, hit join and you’re all set! All you have to do is log in to the Bethesda.net launcher with your Bethesda.net account and Arx Fatalis will be in your library, ready to download.
• To receive The Art of Arkane digital artbook: Visit your transaction history here and you’ll find the artbook in your “Product Codes” list.

You can also join the Arkane Outsiders Discord group, where we’ll be hosting a Discord AMA (June 11 at 11:00am ET) and an exciting collaborative initiative that will allow members of the group to take part in designing exclusive Arkane Outsiders gear and goodies. There are also some surprises planned for the group, including some sneak peeks and even more fun after the Arkane 20 celebration has ended.

In addition to the Discord AMA, we will also be doing a Reddit AMA on June 2 at 11:00am ET. The AMA will feature:

• Harvey Smith, Studio/Creative Director at Arkane Austin
• Dinga Bakaba, Game Director at Arkane Lyon
• Sebastien Mitton, Art Director at Arkane Lyon
• Ricardo Bare, Creative Director at Arkane Austin
• Susan Kath, Business Director at Arkane Austin

(Note: Dinga and Sebastien will answer AMA questions in French.)

CATCH OUR STREAMS

Throughout the Arkane 20 celebration, we’ll be hosting a series of developer streams featuring a variety of voices from both Arkane Lyon and Arkane Austin. Tune into Twitch.tv/Bethesda to catch streams of games like Arx Fatalis, Dishonored 1 and 2, and Prey, featuring special guests.

Get the full stream schedule and details here:

Arkane 20 Hype Stream – May 29 @ 11:00am ET

Dishonored – June 5 @ 11:00am ET

Guests: Dinga Bakaba, Game Director at Arkane Lyon, and Dan Todd, Campaign Designer at Arkane Lyon

Prey – June 12 @ 3:30 pm ET

Guest: Ricardo Bare, Creative Director at Arkane Austin, and actress Janina Gavankar