Microsoft’s mass layoffs have left the gaming industry reeling, with the latest affected being an unannounced MMO from ZeniMax Online Studios. The entire team of hundreds working on the project, codenamed “Blackbird,” has been laid off amid the company-wide cuts.
Sources close to the project reveal that Blackbird was a sci-fi IP in development since 2018 and had made significant progress. However, due to ongoing reports of layoffs, staff at ZeniMax Online Studios were unaware of the extent of the cuts until yesterday. Some employees even had their Slack access deactivated before being informed by HR.
This latest move comes as part of Microsoft’s series of layoffs under Xbox Game Studios. The company has already laid off 1,900 staff in January, closed Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, and announced more job losses in subsequent months. Other notable projects, such as Perfect Dark, The Initiative, and Everwild, have also been canceled.
The scope of the impact on Microsoft’s gaming division remains unclear, but it is evident that the company is undergoing significant changes. As the situation continues to evolve, one thing is certain: the future of several high-profile projects hangs in the balance.
Source: https://nordic.ign.com/elder-scrolls-online/96211/news/the-elder-scrolls-online-devs-unannounced-mmo-was-doing-well-and-even-scaling-up-as-xbox-cancelation