Jason Schreier: Take-Two Nearly Revived Canceled Perfect Dark

Canceled Perfect Dark almost got a second life, according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. The journalist reports that over the past few months Crystal Dynamics had been looking for a new publishing partner to keep the project alive.

That partner was supposed to be Take-Two Interactive, which was ready to fund development. However, talks ultimately collapsed. Since Xbox owns the rights to the franchise, the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement over ownership.

Schreier adds that Crystal Dynamics has since cut staff and abandoned Perfect Dark entirely. The game is now officially dead.

Perfect Dark was announced back in 2020 as a reboot of the classic franchise. It was initially handled by The Initiative — a new studio staffed with veteran developers — before Crystal Dynamics joined as co-developer. Gameplay was first shown at last year’s Xbox showcase.

Earlier this July, Microsoft laid off hundreds across multiple teams, including The Initiative. Rumors suggest Perfect Dark had been stuck in development hell for years, though progress had reportedly picked up in recent months.

Recently, Schreier also shared the story of Hollow Knight: Silksong, the long-awaited metroidvania that’s finally launching tomorrow.