Microsoft cancel Perfect Dark reboot and shut the developers down in the name of "continued success"

Together with "several unannounced projects"

Microsoft person cancelled their Perfect Dark reboot and closed its improvement workplace The Initiative successful the people of this week's scything sacrifices to their really alternatively steadfast bottommost line. In a statement, caput of Xbox Matt Booty besides confirmed the cancellation of Rare's Everwild, alongside "several unannounced projects".

Booty says this "reflects a broader effort to set priorities and absorption resources to acceptable up our teams for greater occurrence wrong a changing manufacture landscape." For context, Microsoft announced nett income of $25.8 cardinal for their astir caller fiscal quarter, with the Xbox part besides posting year-over-year gross growth.

In an email to unit announcing the wider layoffs, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer echoed Booty successful styling them a question of "[making] choices present for continued occurrence successful aboriginal years", and having "the subject to prioritize the strongest opportunities." A reported 9,100 radical person been kicked to the curb crossed Microsoft's operations, but arsenic acold arsenic I know, nary elder enactment salaries are being "disciplined".

While depressing, the cancellation of Everwild possibly isn't surprising, fixed however agelong it had been successful development, and Rare's reported difficulties settling connected a absorption for the game. The Perfect Dark reboot was besides a troubled project. Announced successful 2020, it was inactive "in the earliest stages" of improvement successful 2023, according to 1 report. But past came a June 2024 trailer that brought a grin adjacent to Graham Smith's careworn visage. I thought it seemed promising, too, albeit not overmuch similar the campy archetypal for N64.

Best of luck to each those affected, and to each those who don't yet cognize whether they're affected. In different layoff news, Microsoft person taken the axe to a caller MMO from Elder Scrolls Online developers ZeniMax Online Studios. There are astir apt much cancellations to beryllium announced.