ZeniMax Online Union Speaks About Cancelled Project
It hasn't been an easy time for studios affected by Microsoft's latest round of layoffs, but the union behind ZeniMax Online, one of the studios most impacted, has issued a statement regarding their cancelled game, Project Blackbird.
While The Initiative and Rare drew the most attention, ZeniMax Online also suffered during Microsoft’s layoffs
When Microsoft laid off 9,000 staff earlier this month, around 1,000 of those were from the Xbox division. The Initiative was shut down, and their Perfect Dark game was cancelled. Joining it was Rare’s Everwild, both games rumoured to be stuck in development hell, despite Perfect Dark getting a gameplay teaser last summer. Meanwhile, an unannounced game in development at Zenimax Online Studios was also dropped by Microsoft. Project Blackbird was set to be a sci-fi ARPG from ZeniMax, which is well known for The Elder Scrolls Online.
Now, ZeniMax’s union has come forward to address the situation on behalf of the Project Blackbird team. “Earlier this month, Microsoft indefinitely shelved an unannounced MMORPG at ZeniMax Online Studios,” the union known as ZeniMax Online Studios United confirmed via a post on their Bluesky. The cancellation came as a shock to the developers involved, but this has been somewhat mitigated by press coverage and player sentiment about the project. The team is still currently employed, but their status remains up in the air with no clear communication from Microsoft leadership on the matter.
The union was formed last December due to the ongoing problems facing the industry as a whole, and it seems to have been a shrewd failsafe to focus on. Microsoft and ZOSU are bargaining over the future of the developers and the project’s cancellation, but the union has confirmed that, “as of right now, the developers behind the unannounced project remain employees of Zenimax Online Studios with full pay and benefits.” However, many are preparing themselves for a layoff and are most likely planning ahead as best they can.
What do you think of ZeniMax Online Studios United’s announcement? Sound off in the comments.
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