Recent events have revealed troubling news for ZeniMax Online Studios as their unannounced MMO project, codenamed "Blackbird," has been canceled amid significant layoffs at Microsoft. Following a phase of positive pre-production advancements since 2018, the project was terminated when the entire development team was let go. This development is part of broader cost-cutting measures affecting Microsoft’s Xbox gaming division, impacting several successful franchises and leading to a wave of cancellations and studio closures.

nWhat was the fate of the unannounced MMO from ZeniMax Online Studios?

The project, known as "Blackbird," was canceled, and the entire team working on it was laid off as part of the recent Microsoft layoffs affecting thousands in the gaming division.

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"Blackbird" was set to be a new sci-fi intellectual property being developed with a completely new game engine. It was expected that the project would transition into full production soon due to positive feedback from Xbox regarding its scaling efforts. However, the recent layoffs have left many employees feeling uncertain about their future within the company. This situation follows a series of layoffs and closures affecting various gaming studios under Microsoft's umbrella, indicating a challenging time for the industry.