It’s no secret this summer’s layoffs at Xbox were a bloodbath, resulting in multiple studio closures and cancelled projects. Even developers not owned by Microsoft have been affected, such as Embracer Group owned Crystal Dynamics. The established studio, known for the rebooted Tomb Raider series, were co-developing the new Perfect Dark game headed up by Xbox studio The Initiative. But in early July, the game was unceremoniously cancelled, and The Initiative was shuttered.
The Search for a Buyer Falls Through
Similar to Krafton’s purchase of Tango Gameworks, Microsoft allowed Crystal Dynamics and Embracer to find a buyer for Perfect Dark. The search led them to Take-Two, and negotiations were underway to allow Crystal to finish the game with Take-Two to publish. But a deal couldn’t be reached, allegedly because of disagreement over long-term ownership of Perfect Dark as a franchise. With no deal reached, the reboot seems to be frozen, possibly dead in the water.
As a result, Crystal Dynamics has had to lay off staff, though the actual number of those affected has not been disclosed. The unfortunate reality is when projects fall through, studios can’t afford to retain employees. In a recent interview about working at Bioware, Mark Darrah echoed a similar point. During his time, Bioware struggled to get enough people on projects, but EA wasn’t keen on hiring more people. Hence why a Dragon Age remastered trilogy isn’t happening anytime soon. Simply put, no projects means no work, and no work means reducing headcounts. Still here’s hoping those former Crystal Dynamics employees land on their feet.
Original reporting by Bloomberg. For more coverage, check back regularly with our Other Games section.
