No ZeniMax Online developer has been laid off following the cancellation of Project Blackbird, a new statement shared online confirmed.
ZOS United-CWA released a new statement on Bluesky yesterday, commenting on the cancellation of the project, which came as a shock to the 222 ZOSU-CWA developers working on it, and showing appreciation for the media and players that would have loved to see the game. Unlike what happened at other studios, which saw layoffs following the cancellation of their projects, no ZeniMax Online developer has been laid off. Although the future remains uncertain, as Microsoft and the union established in December 2024 are still discussing how the studio will move forward following the project closure, the developers who worked on Project Blackbird still remain at ZeniMax Online with full pay and benefits. Layoffs may still be in the future for some of the members of the union, but as a result of organizing, those impacted will be able to depart the studio with dignity.
As already mentioned, ZeniMax Online Project Blackbird is not the only project that Microsoft confirmed to have cancelled earlier this month. The Perfect Dark reboot announced back in 2020 has ceased development, and its development studio, The Initiative, has been shut down. Rare’s Everwild was also cancelled, while other studios have been considerably downsized, such as Turn 10, the developer of the Forza Motorsport series, which has reportedly become a Forza Horizon support studio.
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