Hey everyone, I've got some news that's a bit of a bummer. It sounds like Microsoft has made some tough calls recently, and unfortunately, two pretty exciting projects are reportedly getting the axe. We're talking about the reboot of Perfect Dark, which a lot of us were really looking forward to, and also a brand-new MMORPG from Zenimax Online Studios, the folks behind Elder Scrolls Online.

I remember when they first announced the Perfect Dark reboot back in 2020. The initial gameplay trailer shown in June gave us a glimpse of what they had in mind - a near-future Cairo setting, stealthy gameplay, parkour, and cool spy gadgets. It looked promising, and I was genuinely excited to see how it would evolve.

However, things seemed to get complicated pretty quickly. There were reports of development troubles, and Crystal Dynamics, known for their work on the Tomb Raider series, was brought in to assist. It sounds like, despite their efforts, the project just couldn't find its footing, which is a real shame.

And it's not just Perfect Dark. This unannounced MMO project from Zenimax Online Studios that had the codename Blackbird has also reportedly been cancelled. One of the senior producers, Chris Linn, confirmed the cancellation on LinkedIn. The executive producer, Sean Dunn, also shared a heartfelt statement expressing his disappointment for his team and the players who won't get to experience the game they were building. It's tough to hear about talented developers losing their projects and jobs like this.

It's a tough reminder that the games industry can be unpredictable. While it's disappointing to see these projects cancelled, I'm hoping that the talented developers involved will find new and exciting opportunities soon.