Microsoft Killed MMO Project Blackbird Because It Was A Line Item On A Ledger, Dev Says
ZeniMax Online Studios’ Project Blackbird, an ambitious MMO project that had been in development since 2018, has been cancelled due to financial reasons. The game was envisioned as a fusion of Cyberpunk 2077 and Destiny, representing a significant undertaking that employed over 200 developers at its peak in 2022. ZeniMax even built a custom engine specifically for the project.
The cancellation was announced by former The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) director Matt Firor, who had been leading the Project Blackbird team. Firor described the decision as devastating, noting it was “the game he had been waiting his entire career to make.” In emotional reflection on the cancellation, Firor stated that “the world probably would have been a better place with that game in it.”
The financial decision illustrates the challenges developers face at major studios. According to Firor, the project became “a number on a ledger” for its parent company—one that “was always large.” Despite the cancellation’s timing coinciding with recent Xbox layoffs and industry consolidation, Firor emphasized that such decisions are inevitable in game development: “You could be at the best studio in the world, and decisions happen that impact people.”
In contrast, ZeniMax’s flagship Elder Scrolls Online continues to thrive, having maintained active development for 12 years with regular content expansions and updates. The cancellation of Project Blackbird represents a significant loss in potential gaming diversity, particularly in the MMO genre.