{"id":1242456,"date":"2026-02-27T21:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T21:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=606229"},"modified":"2026-02-27T21:26:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T21:26:02","slug":"microsoft-cancels-perfect-dark-reboot-shuts-down-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/microsoft-cancels-perfect-dark-reboot-shuts-down-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft cancels Perfect Dark reboot, shuts down studio"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Xbox Game Studios\u2019 new Perfect Dark<\/em> game \u2014 the project that was first revealed in 2020<\/a> as the debut title from internal studio The Initiative\u00a0\u2014\u00a0has been canceled. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, confirmed the game\u2019s cancellation and the closure of The Initiative in a note to employees, according to a report from Windows Central<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That note also confirms the cancellation of Rare\u2019s Everwild<\/em><\/a>. Both games have been canceled in tandem with mass layoffs at Microsoft\u2019s gaming division.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark<\/em> and Everwild<\/em> as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio,\u201d Booty said. \u201cAs part of this, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative. These decisions, along with other changes across our teams, reflect a broader effort to adjust priorities and focus resources to set up our teams for greater success within a changing industry landscape. We did not make these choices lightly, as each project and team represent years of effort, imagination, and commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reboot of Rare\u2019s Perfect Dark<\/em> franchise was revealed at The Game Awards 2020<\/a>, two years after Microsoft founded The Initiative<\/a>, the Santa Monica, California-based studio led by Darrell Gallagher, former studio head at Crystal Dynamics. Xbox Game Studios re-revealed the new Perfect Dark<\/em> during a 2024 showing<\/a> of the game, which was said to focus on ecological sci-fi themes.<\/p>\n

Last year, Booty said\u00a0Perfect Dark<\/em>\u00a0would focus on \u201ca near-future war over advanced tech that threatens the lives of millions.\u201d Playing as heroine Joanna Dark, players would employ stealth, parkour, high-tech gadgetry, and good old-fashioned firearms to fend off global disaster. The game was planned to feature elements of first-person shooters, immersive sims, and stealth-action.<\/p>\n

Perfect Dark<\/em>\u00a0was being developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics for Xbox Series X and Windows PC. The game never had an announced release date.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The original Perfect Dark<\/em> was released on Nintendo 64 in 2000. A remaster was released for Xbox 360 in 2010. Rare followed up the original game with a spinoff for Game Boy Color in 2000 and a prequel, Perfect Dark Zero<\/em>, in 2005.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Xbox Game Studios\u2019 new Perfect Dark game \u2014 the project that was first revealed in 2020 as the debut title from internal studio The Initiative\u00a0\u2014\u00a0has been canceled. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, confirmed the game\u2019s cancellation and the closure of The Initiative in a note to employees, according to a report from Windows Central. That note also confirms the cancellation of Rare\u2019s Everwild. Both games have been canceled in tandem with mass layoffs at Microsoft\u2019s gaming division. \u201cWe have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio,\u201d Booty said. \u201cAs part of this, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative. These decisions, along with other changes across…<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1242457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1242456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"\nMicrosoft cancels Perfect Dark reboot, shuts down studio | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Xbox Game Studios\u2019 new Perfect Dark game \u2014 the project that was first revealed in 2020 as the debut title from internal studio The Initiative\u00a0\u2014\u00a0has been\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/microsoft-cancels-perfect-dark-reboot-shuts-down-studio\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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