The reboot of Perfect Dark was in development at Crystal Dynamics and The Initiative, but it was canceled in July 2025 due to mass layoffs at Microsoft and Xbox.

The Perfect Dark reboot has been cancelled. Reports came to light on July 2, 2025, following the sad news that mass layoffs had hit Xbox. With a leaked memo from Xbox Game Studios president Matt Booty ...

Xbox super-studio The Initiative is the currently working on a rebooted Perfect Dark game, bringing the classic franchise back for modern consoles. Described as a first-person shooter with an "eco sci ...

Xbox’s Perfect Dark reboot, announced back in 2020, has reportedly been canceled as part of the ongoing layoffs at Microsoft. The studio developing the game has reportedly been shut down, too. On July ...

Let’s start with the obvious: the original Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64 was a masterpiece. After the success of GoldenEye (more on this soon), developer Rare outdid itself in every way. At the ...

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers. Xbox's Perfect Dark reboot, first announced in 2020, has been canceled. Its developer, The Initiative, is also shutting down, Microsoft has confirmed.

Dominik Bošnjak is a freelance writer from Croatia. He has been writing about games for as long as he can remember and is sure he began doing so professionally in 2010 or thereabouts. If he was forced ...

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers. Perfect Dark, canceled in July amidst a wave of layoffs at Microsoft, almost got a second chance at life thanks to Take-Two, according to a new report ...

Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook image courtesy of microsoft. Perfect Dark was built on everything Rare had accomplished with ...

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years ...