When Microsoft laid off an astonishing 9,000 individuals in July, the long-awaited Good Darkish reboot was among the many casualties. The primary studio engaged on it—The Initiative—was shuttered, however co-developers Crystal Dynamics tried to salvage the undertaking by slicing a publishing cope with Take-Two. The deal by no means eventuated as a result of Take-Two and Microsoft could not agree on who would retain possession of the Good Darkish franchise.
Nonetheless, it appears like Take-Two did get one thing out of these discussions: former The Initiative boss Darrell Gallagher and Good Darkish director Brian Horton will discovered a brand new 2K Video games studio. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier introduced as a lot at this time, earlier than Gallagher confirmed on LinkedIn.
“I am excited to share that I will probably be becoming a member of 2K as SVP, Studio Head, the place I will be constructing a brand new studio and main an formidable alternative in contrast to something I’ve taken on earlier than,” he wrote. “I’ve spent my profession believing in what’s potential when nice individuals come along with a daring imaginative and prescient. I can not wait to get began with the distinctive crew at 2K!”
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Gallagher based The Initiative in 2018, and the studio’s sole identified undertaking was the aborted Good Darkish reboot. Earlier than becoming a member of the Xbox Recreation Studios brood, he labored with Activision, Sq. Enix and Crystal Dynamics.
Brian Horton additionally confirmed the brand new 2K Video games studio, albeit in fewer phrases, with the title of Vice-President Head of Inventive. Horton has labored with an enormous vary of studios together with Crystal Dynamics (relationship earlier than its collaboration with The Initiative) Insomniac Video games, Infinity Ward and extra.
Whereas the brand new 2K Video games undertaking will virtually actually not be a Good Darkish recreation, it’s going to be fascinating to see if it finally ends up resembling one. If it does, that could not be a nasty factor: Ted Litchfield completely liked what he noticed of the reboot in 2024, making Microsoft’s unceremonious cancellation all of the extra painful.
In mild of July’s catastrophic layoffs, Xbox boss Phil Spencer someway mustered the braveness to say that Microsoft’s gaming enterprise has “by no means regarded stronger”.
