New Report is Bad News for Perfect Dark Fans

According to reports from several insiders, the development of Xbox first-party game Perfect Dark is facing a lot of turmoil. Announced at the 2020 Game Awards by brand-new Xbox team The Initiative, the game promised a modern reimagining of Rare's Perfect Dark series, while retaining its hallmark blend of action, espionage, and sci-fi elements.

The Initiative is a high-caliber team that was started by Microsoft in 2018. With veteran developers from studios like Naughty Dog, Sony Santa Monica, Infinity Ward, BioWare, and more, as well as claims of having the «freedom to explore and try new things,» expectations for the then-rumored Perfect Dark game from The Initiative ran high. After the studio made the rumors official in 2020, it went radio silent. In 2021, it was announced that Crystal Dynamics would co-develop Perfect Dark with The Initiative due to rampant staff departures, and over three years since its official reveal, the bad news keeps piling on.

Credible industry insider Jeff Grubb reported on the Giant Bomb Podcast that after the fallout of Xbox's recent closure of four studios, he heard that Perfect Dark is in a «very rough state,» and that bringing in Crystal Dynamics to help with the project hasn't benefited its development by much. Moreover, Perfect Dark allegedly featured first-person gameplay, but Grubb claims that the developers are unsure if that's the direction they want to take the game in. Insider Shinobi602 corroborated the claims on ResetEra as well, stating that it lines up with what they heard.

RPG Site owner Alex Donaldson also chimed in, claiming that they've heard «crazy stories» about Perfect Dark's development, and likened the team's efforts to pushing «a boulder up a steep hill.» Lastly, Did You Know Gaming's Liam Robertson asserted that the development of the game was «a future video in the making» and «a big, protracted mess.» The reports aren't difficult to believe, as the game has not been shown in any capacity since the CGI