In early July, Microsoft initiated a new wave of workforce reductions and game project cancellations. Among these was `Project Blackbird,` an action-RPG MMO being developed by ZeniMax`s Elder Scrolls Online team. Recently, a report shed light on previously undisclosed details regarding Project Blackbird`s narrative and features, confirming that its development has ceased and its story will remain unfinished.
An extensive report from True Achievements reveals that Project Blackbird aimed to merge gameplay elements reminiscent of titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny, and Warframe. Players were to embody a `Revenant,` a customizable human cyborg, within the game`s setting: a distant planet named Soteria. The primary location was Exodus, a sprawling, floating capital city governed by an advanced AI called PAN. The game would have also featured five distinct alien syndicates and a multitude of other galactic species, with whom players would interact and contend.
The central plot of Project Blackbird was designed with noir influences, tasking the player`s character, at the behest of the AI PAN, with solving the murder of a prominent individual in Exodus. Additionally, PAN would assign various side missions to maintain stability within Exodus, preventing any single alien syndicate from gaining undue dominance. Conversely, the syndicates themselves would also offer quests, allowing players to further their respective objectives in the ongoing struggle for control over the city.
Envisioned as a live-service title, Project Blackbird was planned to include elements such as player-versus-player (PvP) combat, a shared world environment, and cooperative gameplay options. However, despite undergoing a substantial period of early conceptual and developmental work that shaped its core mechanics and setting, the game never transitioned into full production. Reports suggest that Microsoft made the strategic decision to discontinue the project, opting against allocating further resources to drive it towards an anticipated release window of 2027 or 2028.
Project Blackbird was not the sole victim of Microsoft`s recent restructuring. Other notable titles, including Rare`s `Everwild` and the `Perfect Dark` reboot, were also reportedly canceled during this latest round of layoffs.