Perfect Dark reportedly cancelled, The Initiative studio closing

Today, Xbox Gamer Studios endures a somber day as Microsoft’s gaming sector faces significant setbacks from a series of widespread layoffs. This unfortunate event leads to the termination of the reboot project for Perfect Dark, and it appears that the studio responsible for its development, The Initiative, will cease operations.

In the gaming world, I found myself reading about some tough changes happening over at Microsoft. The tech giant has reportedly started another round of layoffs, potentially affecting around 9,000 employees within their ranks. Among those rumored to be affected is the development team behind Perfect Dark, a game that’s been close to my heart. According to reports from Windows Central, it seems they are part of this wave of downsizing.

Back in 2020, Perfect Dark was unveiled at The Game Awards. To oversee its production, Microsoft established an internal studio called The Initiative. Our latest glimpse of this game came during the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, where we got to see a gameplay demonstration.

This morning, it was announced that Microsoft’s job cuts will lead to the termination of Everwild, a game being developed by Rare. In a public announcement, head of Xbox Phil Spencer expressed that the Xbox platform “is currently more robust than ever” amidst the layoffs.

Read More

2025-07-02 20:57