Report: Xbox Execs Were ‘Blown Away’ By Cancelled ZeniMax Game Earlier This Year

Recently, one of the titles that was said to be scrapped as part of the Xbox layoffs was an undisclosed ZeniMax Online Studios endeavor, and as per a new article, employees were “astonished” to witness it get terminated.

This information comes from Jason Schreier at Bloomberg, who indicates that the game (codenamed “Blackbird”) had, indeed, received “glowing feedback” from Xbox executives back in March according to “individuals acquainted with the endeavor”, and Xbox leader Phil Spencer reportedly enjoyed it so much that he had to be redirected in order to proceed with a meeting.

“During the presentation in March, Spencer was relishing the game so much that Matt Booty, the chief of Xbox Game Studios, had to take the controller away to allow the meeting to continue, according to two individuals who were present.”

Schreier points out that the project had faced some technological challenges and an extended development phase, but it was allegedly making considerable strides – and IGN‘s article regarding the matter suggested a similar notion today as well.

“In the previous year, sources inform IGN that pre-production was progressing well, and the team was actively intensifying in hopes of transitioning to full production soon.”

Had it launched, “Blackbird” was reportedly set to be a third-person online looter-shooter, drawing parallels to Bungie’s Destiny. It was said to emphasize “vertical movement” and embrace a “sci-fi, noir style,” while the anticipated release window was tentatively scheduled for 2028.

Workers evidently weren’t notified about the reasons behind its cancellation yesterday, but Schreier speculates it may relate to expenses (an “expensive endeavor” being developed on a brand-new game engine) and the reality that it was a “live-service game entering an overwhelmed market” during a convoluted period for live-service games overall.

Perhaps we will discover more in the upcoming days and weeks, but for now, our heartfelt wishes extend to all the personnel involved with this endeavor – its cancellation has seemingly arrived as a significant shock to them all.