Arkane Studios almost worked on Thief 4 and a Blade Runner game before developing its 2012 action-adventure game, Dishonored.
More than a decade after the release of Dishonored, former Arkane Studios creative leads Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith have reflected on the game’s origins in a new video on the former’s YouTube channel, revealing that the studio nearly worked on Thief 4 and a Blade Runner game before developing its 2012 stealth-action title. Colantonio mentioned that he and Smith were not initially planning to co-direct a project together after the latter joined Arkane. Instead, the studio found itself in discussions with Bethesda Softworks about reviving Thief and Blade Runner.
“When Bethesda approached us, the proposition was, ‘Hey, we have the Thief franchise and we know the people to make that game, and it’s you,’” Colantonio recalled. He explained that Bethesda Softworks’ proposal not only helped stabilize Arkane Studios’ future, but also offered him the chance to work on what he called “the IP that I would have liked to work on the most.”
Smith revealed that Arkane Studios had already begun developing ideas for both projects. “We almost did. We had an amazing pitch for Thief. It would have been Thief 4,” he said. The team had even created prototype videos and early concepts. The Blade Runner project also moved beyond the concept stage. Smith explained that Arkane Studios worked on concepts involving the franchise’s ESPER technology and replicant combat. Inspired by conversations with legendary game designer Doug Church, the team explored how replicants may move differently from humans, incorporating unusual physical animations and combat behaviors.
The split between the two projects reflected the personal passions of Arkane’s leaders. Colantonio admitted that while he enjoyed Blade Runner, he was far more attached to Thief, whereas Smith was deeply invested in sci-fi themes. As a result, Colantonio led the Thief effort while Smith spearheaded Blade Runner. Eventually, however, neither project materialized. Instead, Bethesda Softworks asked Arkane to continue building its own original game. “Keep what you’re doing and call it Dishonored,” Colantonio recalled the publisher telling them.
