Elder Scrolls Online studio’s next MMO has been reportedly killed by Microsoft layoffs

Huge Microsoft layoffs are occurring as we communicate with 9,000 workers affected by the mega-corporations selections. Regardless of Xbox boss Phil Spencer stating that Xbox is doing higher than ever, initiatives are being axed, together with the subsequent MMO from the builders behind The Elder Scrolls On-line.

Following information that Uncommon’s lengthy in-development unique recreation Everwild had been scrapped, trusted reporter Jason Schreier reported that the subsequent recreation from Zenimax On-line Studios has been killed on account of the mass layoffs.

Chatting with followers on Blue Sky, Schreier revealed that the once-upcoming MMORPG, which had been in improvement since 2018, has been canned. Dubbed Mission Blackbird, the MMO was in improvement lengthy earlier than Microsoft’s acquisition of Zenimax again in 2021.

“The brand new MMORPG venture from Zenimax On-line Studios, maker of Elder Scrolls On-line, has been canceled as a part of the Xbox layoffs,” the reporter advised followers.

On the time of writing, different first-party Xbox initiatives are additionally reportedly on the chopping block with some suggesting that the upcoming Perfect Dark game is in sizzling water. Proven off final yr, Good Darkish is the debut venture from new studio The Initiative in collaboration with Crystal Dynamics. The sport’s cancellation can be one of the crucial costly scrapped video games in historical past.

Zenimax On-line Studios has executed terribly nicely with The Elder Scrolls On-line over the previous decade. For the reason that recreation’s launch in 2014, the Elder Scrolls prequel has turn into one of many greatest MMOs round, though it’s not as huge as World of Warcraft or Closing Fantasy XIV.

With frequent expansions and content material drops, quite a lot of work and love has been funnelled into ESO, and plenty of followers had been excited to seek out out simply what Mission Blackbird really was. Sadly, evidently we’ll by no means get to truly play what the gifted MMORPG builders had been engaged on.