Skip to main content Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Tech Radar Gaming TechRadar Game-changing stories Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Black Ops 6 Monster Hunter Wilds Recommended reading Gaming Industry Phil Spencer somehow thinks that Xbox has 'never looked stronger' as multiple games are canceled Consoles & PC The Elder Scrolls 6 - everything we know so far Gaming Industry EA has canceled Cliffhanger Games' Black Panther game and closed the studio to 'sharpen our focus' elsewhere The Elder Scrolls Online might be just about to become the first MMO that's not miserable for lapsed players to return to Build A Rocket Boy confirms it has begun the redundancy process following MindsEye's disastrous launch Ex-Blizzard boss says The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered 'will never hold up against modern masterpieces like Elden Ring' Xbox Games Showcase 2025: everything revealed from Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Persona 4 remake to a new handheld Gaming Industry An unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer has been canceled by Xbox after seven years of work Demi Williams 3 July 2025 ZeniMax Game Studios head Matt Firor has also stepped down When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Bethesda) An unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Game Studios has been canceled The project is just one of many that have been canceled amid mass layoffs at Microsoft ZeniMax Game Studios head Matt Firor has also stepped down Microsoft has canceled an unannounced massively multiplayer game (MMO) from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Game Studios. This comes amid mass layoffs at Microsoft that have seen 9,000 staff members affected, as well as multiple other games to be canceled, including Perfect Dark and Everwild. The project, code-named Blackbird, was said to be an MMO and a brand new IP unrelated to The Elder Scrolls or Fallout. Development began in 2018 and has been in the works for seven years. It appears that the team has also been cut as part of the layoffs. You may like Phil Spencer somehow thinks that Xbox has 'never looked stronger' as multiple games are canceled The Elder Scrolls 6 - everything we know so far EA has canceled Cliffhanger Games' Black Panther game and closed the studio to 'sharpen our focus' elsewhere According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier on Bluesky, "some employees at ZeniMax Online Studios are now watching their Slack accounts abruptly get locked out," and they've received no word from HR or been informed about the status of their employment, "just an ominous Slack deactivation." In addition, ZeniMax Game Studios' head Matt Firor has stepped down from his position and been replaced by Joseph Burba. "After more than 18 years leading ZeniMax Online Studios, I'll be stepping away later this month," Firor said on X / Twitter. "While I won't be working on the game anymore, I will be cheering you on and adding to the thousands of hours I've already spent in-game. There are many more stories to be told, adventures to be had, and I know this amazing community will carry that shared legacy and success forwards." Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Please read this update from ZOS President, Matt Firor. pic.twitter.com/M00G1QZZrHJuly 2, 2025 Jill Braff, head of studio for Bethesda and ZeniMax, also shared a staff memo announcing the leadership changes while also commenting on the latest job cuts (via IGN). "Dear Team. Building on Matt’s note below, I first want to take a moment to acknowledge the changes happening today across Microsoft Gaming, including Bethesda/ZeniMax," Braff wrote. "Saying goodbye to talented colleagues and friends is painful. These individuals have contributed meaningfully to our studios, our games, and our culture. I want to thank them for the contributions they have made that shaped our journey as a team and as a company. "I also want to share today that Matt Firor has decided to step down from his role as the head of ZeniMax Online Studios, effective July 14. I want to offer heartfelt thanks to Matt for his incredible leadership of ZOS over the last 18 years. As a driving force behind the success of The Elder Scrolls Online, Matt has grown the game into one of the most enduring and beloved MMOs in the industry." He continues, writing, "I’m pleased to announce that Joseph ('Jo') Burba will be taking over for Matt Firor as the new Studio Director for ZOS. With over 20 years in the industry, his extensive experience in live service multiplayer titles, and a strong background in various roles across ZOS the past thirteen years, Jo is well-prepared to lead the team into its next chapter. "Matt, Jo, and I will work together to finalize our transition plan – more to come soon. In the meantime, please join me in wishing Matt all the best and congratulating Jo on his new role. Thank you to all of you for your dedication to Bethesda/ZeniMax, our community, and to each other." Braff references a prior memo from the head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, in which he confirmed the many game cancellations, the closure of developer The Initiative, and the cancellation of "several unannounced projects". You might also like... Best PS5 games 2025 - the top 26 PlayStation 5 titles to play right now The Nintendo Switch 2 is the company’s least ambitious console to date, but its improvements are astronomical 70 hours later, and I'm convinced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a true system seller Demi Williams Demi is a freelance games journalist for TechRadar Gaming. She's been a games writer for five years and has written for outlets such as GameSpot, NME, and GamesRadar, covering news, features, and reviews. Outside of writing, she plays a lot of RPGs and talks far too much about Star Wars on X. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Phil Spencer somehow thinks that Xbox has 'never looked stronger' as multiple games are canceled The Elder Scrolls 6 - everything we know so far EA has canceled Cliffhanger Games' Black Panther game and closed the studio to 'sharpen our focus' elsewhere The Elder Scrolls Online might be just about to become the first MMO that's not miserable for lapsed players to return to Build A Rocket Boy confirms it has begun the redundancy process following MindsEye's disastrous launch Ex-Blizzard boss says The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered 'will never hold up against modern masterpieces like Elden Ring' Latest in Gaming Industry Phil Spencer somehow thinks that Xbox has 'never looked stronger' as multiple games are canceled Xbox cancels Perfect Dark, Everwild, and an unannounced online game amidst yet another round of mass layoffs Xbox hardware is 'dead' according to a former Microsoft producer – and it's hard to disagree EA has canceled Cliffhanger Games' Black Panther game and closed the studio to 'sharpen our focus' elsewhere Former PlayStation boss says he 'partly saved' the first Gran Turismo game from being too realistic: 'It was extremely advanced, perhaps too much so' Nintendo Switch 2 demand seems huge in Japan, with Nintendo claiming 'approximately 2.2 million people' have applied to buy one there Latest in News The Pixel 6a will get a mandatory update that will ‘reduce battery capacity’ soon – and other Pixel phones could be next HPE and Juniper confirm merger deal Phil Spencer somehow thinks that Xbox has 'never looked stronger' as multiple games are canceled More Samsung Galaxy tri-fold specs have just leaked – but it could be a while before you can buy it This new iOS 26 FaceTime privacy feature is proving divisive, but here’s why the controversy might be overblown The AI-powered future of ransomware is coming soon - here's what we need to look out for LATEST ARTICLES An unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer has been canceled by Xbox after seven years of work One of our best Amazon Alexa speakers is over a third off in the early Prime Day sale – and I’m seriously thinking of upgrading Grab an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X CPU for $99.99 with Newegg’s Prime Day busting deals, $40 cheaper than at Amazon and its lowest price ever Amazon has given my favorite gaming keyboard a hefty discount – here’s why you shouldn’t wait to snap up the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless OpenAI is massively upping its Oracle cloud capacity to power Project Stargate - is this the mystery $30bn deal? 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