Perfect Dark was one of the most anticipated blockbusters in the first-party Xbox portfolio when it was suddenly canceled earlier this summer amid mass cuts at Microsoft. Bloomberg now reports there was briefly an attempt to find the troubled game a new publisher so that it could still come out.
Unfortunately, those talks apparently fell through, at least in part due to disagreements over IP rights. The idea was that Embracer-owned Crystal Dynamics, which was co-developing the stealth shooter with now defunct Xbox studio The Initiative, would complete the project under a new publishing deal with Take-Two. The two companies reportedly came “close” to a deal but one of the things that ultimately sunk talks was disagreement over who would own the Perfect Dark franchise, which currently belongs to Microsoft, over the long term.
If Perfect Dark had been a success, the IP rights would have become way more valuable overnight with the potential for sequels or TV and movie adaptations. But for that to happen it would have had to come out. How much will the IP be worth with no new game in over 15 years?
This deal falling through is seemingly why Crystal Dynamics announced new layoffs last week. “This decision was not made lightly,” the studio posted on LinkedIn. “It was necessary, however, to ensure the long-term health of our studio and core creative priorities in a continually shifting market.”
Microsoft has found a way to give some of the casualties of its mass layoffs a second lease on life. Hi-Fi Rush maker Tango Gameworks briefly shutdown in 2024 before being resurrected later that year under South Korean publisher Krafton. It’s a shame the tech giant couldn’t find a way to make that happen for Perfect Dark, both for fans but most of all for the people who were working on it.