Microsoft has cancelled a number of games including the long-awaited remake of classic shooter Perfect Dark.
Perfect Dark was released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 as the spiritual successor to the iconic Goldeneye 007. A sequel Perfect Dark Zero launched on the Xbox 360 in 2005 before an updated version of the original followed in 2010.
In 2020, it was announced that Microsoft would be rebooting the franchise, starting with a remake of Perfect Dark that would be developed by two studios – Crystal Dynamics and The Initiative.
Last week, head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty confirmed via email that The Initiative would be shutting down and the seven years of work on Perfect Dark would be scrapped. The cancellation comes as part of wider changes at Microsoft that will see four per cent of its total workforce laid off, with a majority of those coming from the world of gaming.
It’s also been announced that Rare’s ambitious new IP Everwild has also been scrapped alongside other “unannounced projects”. It’s been reported that Project Blackbird, Zennimax’s planned successor to The Elder Scrolls Online, has also been cancelled despite executives being “blown away” by what they’d seen so far of the massively-multiplayer online game.
RIP Perfect Dark
Xbox has officially cancelled Perfect Dark and shut down The Initiative Studio.
Gameplay trailer from last year looked awesome with almost Dishonored-esque level design and variety.
Xbox is such a mess.pic.twitter.com/hADBaZ3BQq
— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) July 2, 2025
