Before cancelling ZeniMax’s Destiny-style MMO shooter, Xbox executives reportedly enjoyed early demos so much that the controller had to be pulled from Phil Spencer’s hands

lincoln.carpenter@futurenet.com (Lincoln Carpenter)
2025-07-03 17:11:00
www.pcgamer.com

Yesterday, Microsoft started its latest round of layoffs, aiming to eliminate 9,000 jobs after previously cutting more than 12,000 employees over the last two years. The latest downsizing has led to studio closures and game cancellations—including Blackbird, an unannounced MMO in development at ZeniMax that Xbox executives were reportedly thrilled about before abruptly killing the project.

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reports that production for Blackbird began at ZeniMax in 2018. A Destiny-esque third person shooter MMO with a scifi noir aesthetic, Blackbird was being developed by a team of 300 employees. Its gameplay seemingly placed a greater emphasis on verticality and acrobatics, offering traversal tools like grappling hooks, wall climbing, and air dashes.

Blackbird had been a hit with Xbox executives. According to sources familiar with its development, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer was so impressed with an internal demo in March that Xbox Games Studios head Matt Booty had to pull the controller from his hands in order to stop him from holding up a meeting. All signs looked overwhelmingly positive, and the game’s development proceeded towards a tentative 2028 launch.

On Wednesday, those developers logged into Slack to see that the accounts for the game’s executive producer and creative director were missing. In a meeting later that morning, they were informed that Blackbird was “shelved indefinitely.” The team lost their Slack accounts in the aftermath, leaving them in a kind of “job purgatory” as Microsoft negotiates with ZeniMax’s union, which organized last year, over severance packages.

As a seemingly promising game project from a proven MMO developer, Blackbird’s cancellation is a frustrating one, especially when Microsoft and Xbox alike are happy to describe their ongoing unprecedented successes.

In a memo sent to Xbox employees when yesterday’s layoffs were announced, Spencer said that the gaming division has “more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before.” In Microsoft’s 2024 annual report, CEO Satya Nadella said the company achieved “record performance,” delivering an operating profit of $109 billion—a 24% increase from the year before.

Source Link

Take your gaming to the next level! The Redragon S101 RGB Backlit Gaming Keyboard is an Amazon’s Choice product that delivers incredible value. This all-in-one PC Gamer Value Kit includes a Programmable Backlit Gaming Mouse, perfect for competitive gaming or casual use.

With 46,015 ratings, an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars, and over 4K+ bought in the past month, this kit is trusted by gamers everywhere! Available now for just $39.99 on Amazon. Plus, act fast and snag an exclusive 15% off coupon – but hurry, this offer won’t last long!

Score this incredible deal now!

Start your free Amazon Prime trial
today and unlock unlimited streaming and more!

Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support

If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.

As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!

BITCOIN

Bitcoin Logo