Ubisoft shuts down Marvel Blade game gossip
"Sorry to slice up the rumours."
Ubisoft has denied reports it is making a game based on Marvel's infamous vampire hunter Blade.
The reports were sparked by photos - originally posted to Instagram back in July - that showed actors in Ubisoft-branded mo-cap suits apparently working on a Marvel project.
The images resurfaced yesterday thanks to YouTuber and regular Ubisoft leaker JorRaptor, who pointed out a clapperboard which listed director Bassam Tariq - who is also directing Marvel's 2023 Blade reboot.
Ubisoft has now issued an unusually firm rebuttal to these reports, rather than its typical line that it does not comment on rumour or speculation.
"Sorry to slice up the rumours, we're not making a Blade game," Ubisoft wrote on Twitter. "We can't wait to see what our friends at Marvel Studios are cooking up for next year's movie!"
It's unusual to see Ubisoft publicly distancing itself from a rumour in this way - though perhaps this says something about how closely the publisher is currently working with Disney on upcoming Avatar and Star Wars projects, and doesn't want to be seen as rocking the boat.
And it's still unclear what these photos - which remain on Instagram at the time of writing - are actually showing.
"On set with the legionnaire @thegaffneyman," Ubisoft mo-cap artist Alex Martin wrote, alongside a photo of the pair holding sword-like weapons. "Thank you so much for your trust."
"That's a wrap! It is always a pleasure working on great projects but what makes it even better is working with great people," responded his partner Edwin Gaffney, another video game mo-cap actor. "Thank you @alexmartin.am for the talent and energy you bring to the set you rock!"
Both posts are tagged with numerous hashtags, including #actor #mocap #performancecapture #ubisoft #ubisoftgames.
Martin previously worked with Ubisoft on a trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2, playing the character of Knox.
Eurogamer has asked Ubisoft for more detail on what the photos show.