Former ZeniMax On-line Founder Confirms He Resigned As a result of Xbox Killed Undertaking Blackbird

Matt Firor, the previous studio head and founding father of ZeniMax On-line Studios, has confirmed his resignation from the corporate as a direct results of the cancelation of the studio’s unannounced sport, Undertaking Blackbird.

In a LinkedIn put up as we speak, Firor mirrored on the final 12 months and confirmed his departure again in July, which had already been rumored after he stepped down from his management position final 12 months. “Undertaking Blackbird was the sport I had waited my whole profession to create, and having it canceled led to my resignation. My coronary heart and ideas are all the time with the impacted group members, lots of whom I had labored 20+ years with, and all of whom had been essentially the most devoted, amazingly gifted group of builders within the business.”

Firor additionally made clear he’s not concerned in any of the tasks which have been began by former ZeniMax On-line members who had been laid off from the corporate round this time. He added that he’s advising a few of them “informally” and confirmed they had been “in good arms.”

He concluded by stating that whereas he does not know what he’ll do subsequent, he is presently each advising some tasks and startups unofficially, in addition to investing in some small groups. “However I’ve not but significantly contemplated spinning up a brand new growth studio.”

Undertaking Blackbird was an unannounced MMORPG that was in growth at ZeniMax On-line Studios, however was canceled by Xbox in the summertime of 2025 as part of the layoff of lots of of people at Xbox Recreation Studios, and hundreds Microsoft-wide. Blackbird would have been a model new, sci-fi IP that had been in growth since 2018. In July, sources talking to IGN instructed us that the mission was going properly and was about to maneuver into full manufacturing with Xbox’s approval to scale up the group. Blackbird’s cancelation led to the layoffs of each member of the group.

Firor based ZeniMax On-line Studios underneath ZeniMax Media in 2007 after 10 years at Mythic Leisure, the place he was a founding worker. There, he oversaw the creation of The Elder Scrolls On-line, which launched in 2014 and continues to be supported, with the newest main enlargement Gold Highway releasing in January 2024. Firor was additionally in cost when dad or mum firm ZeniMax Media was acquired by Microsoft in 2021.

Following the cancelation of Blackbird, ZeniMax On-line Studios stays in operation, persevering with work on The Elder Scrolls On-line underneath the management of Joseph Burba, a 13-year veteran of the studio.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Bought a narrative tip? Ship it to rvalentine@ign.com.