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[jshackles]

According to a memo sent from Booty, obtained by Variety

Microsoft Scraps ‘Perfect Dark’ Reboot, ‘Everwild’ and Other Games, Closes Studio The Initiative

Microsoft is scrapping two upcoming video games, a reboot of "Perfect Dark" and the fantasy title "Everwild," in addition to ending development on several unannounced projects.

variety.com

Following Phil's note, I want to share more about the changes to the Studios business units.

We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio. As 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.

Our overall portfolio strategy is unchanged: build games that excite our players, continue to grow our biggest franchises, and create new stories, worlds, and characters. We have more than 40 projects in active development, continued momentum on titles shipping this fall, and a strong slate headed into 2026.

For those directly affected, we are working closely with HR and studio leadership to provide support, including severance, career transition assistance, and where possible, opportunities to explore roles on other teams.

To everyone across our studios: thank you. Your creativity and resilience continue to define who we are. I believe in the strength of our teams and the direction we're taking on the path ahead.

 

[Hollowpoint5557]

Can one of them be a Blast Corps sequal please?

 

[SHAKEZ]

Until they aren't.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Some of them are still very early (only 4-5 years in development) so it's too early to cancel those yet.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

 

[Loboxxx]

In development by ChatGPT?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

CoD
Minecraft
Halo
Gears
Candy Crush

Apart from those everything seems to be at risk now

 

[begotten]

I'll believe it when I see them all listed on a Twitter banner.

 

[tr1p1ex]

active development can mean whatever you want it to mean.

 

[Unknown?]

How many are GaaS and mobile?

 

[IFireflyl]

If the information regarding closures was going to come out (and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that it wouldn't get reported) then you'd think Microsoft would have some sort of public announcement ready to justify the closures. "We actually shunted most of the workers to a different studio," or something. Microsoft is so big that they don't even care if they look like (or are) the bad guy.

 

[drganon]

 

[SJRB]

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Damage control right on cue

 

[Buggy Loop]

How in the fuck

are they counting a "title", 1 for Xbox, 1 for PC, 1 for Playstation, 1 for Nintendo?

 

[Nydius]

CoD
Minecraft
Halo
Gears
Candy Crush

Apart from those everything seems to be at risk now

Add Forza Horizon to that list too. It's one of their few stable projects that is well received and popular on all platforms.

 

[near]

A source close to the situation has told Variety that every game featured at Xbox Games Showcase presentation in June is continuing on.

Jez Corden just went into a coma.

Timestamped:

 

[SILKYSMOOTH30FPS]

In development is one thing, but releasing, and those games being anything more than 6/10 slop is a completely different story. Can't trust them with anything.

I lied. I trust 343i to deliver such dogshit that it will explode the internet. Thank you for being Ubisoft adjacent, 343i.

 

[Heisenberg007]

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Damage control

 

[Judge Magister]

 

[Ar¢tos]

35 of them are for phones then?

 

[Arsic]

50% shitty indie 33 immortals joints, 20-30% more to be cancelled, and then you'll get games like South of Midnight that see light of day.

The future is bright.

 

[HJuggernaut]

what are they can we get a list?

 

[Karim]

According to a memo sent from Booty, obtained by Variety

Microsoft Scraps ‘Perfect Dark’ Reboot, ‘Everwild’ and Other Games, Closes Studio The Initiative

Microsoft is scrapping two upcoming video games, a reboot of "Perfect Dark" and the fantasy title "Everwild," in addition to ending development on several unannounced projects.

variety.com

For now

 

[DeepEnigma]

80%+/- of them are CoD and other established churned out IPs long before MS had anything to do with them.

 

[OverHeat]

CoD
Minecraft
Halo
Gears
Candy Crush

Apart from those everything seems to be at risk now

Not to sure about halo anymore feel like it's the last chance.

 

[viveks86]

That's a lot of CoDs

 

[Ar¢tos]

We have seen 5 frames of Fable gameplay and it has been announced ages ago, so I assume Fable is next on the chopping block.

 

[spookyfish]

"No wait: 39. I mean, 38. Aw, hell. Now 35. I mean, we have at LEAST 30 -- okay, 28."

 

[Bry0]

Jez Corden just went into a coma.

Timestamped:

He will never get it because he's just a fan. Laura proved incredibly prescient. She was there back in the windows centric Microsoft game studios days, she's seen it all.

 

[PanzerCute]

 

[winjer]

That is a lot of games to cancel and people to fire.

 

[Baemono]

 

[Guilty_AI]

and they all suck

 

[EN250]

Sure, sure... yeah, and Playstation has 12 GAAS games ready to launch and each one is going to be a complete success... LMAO

How can they get more games when they're cutting jobs and shrinking studios, smh...

 

[jshackles]

 

[Plies]

Be HONEST

 

[Fake]

Microsoft Still Has 40 Titles in Active Development

 

[Deerock71]

"You see those games in development over there? We can can shut down those studios."

 

[Atrus]

So far.

It's probably best to not really take the word of Mr. "Just 4 games" at face value when it comes to overall operations.

 

[Iced Arcade]

Lol fuck off Matt

 

[TintoConCasera]

You sure it ain't 40 gamepads?

 

[Topher]

Most tone deaf executives I've ever seen

 

[Plies]

 

[AmuroChan]

The question should never be how many games are in development. It should be how many will make it to market.

 

[winjer]

Most tone deaf executives I've ever seen

This is just Microsoft's internal culture.

 

[TVexperto]

So? Its less than Embracer has

Embracer Group currently has 200+ games in development

Embracer Group reportedly has around 224 games in active development thanks to its vast array of studios, many acquired in recent years.

www.gameshub.com

 

[havoc00]

Fuck ya Xbros we are against the ropes but not out!

 

[Moses85]

40 potential cancelations left