Brace yourselves, gamers! Big changes are afoot as Matt Firor, the mastermind behind ZeniMax Online Studios and a monumental force in the MMORPG realm, has announced his departure from the company. The shockwave stems from the heartbreaking cancellation of his visionary unannounced project, dubbed 'Project Blackbird'!
Splashing his thoughts across LinkedIn today, Firor threw back the curtain on his year's journey, confirming what the gaming rumor mill had been speculating since July. "Project Blackbird was the game I had waited my entire career to create," Firor revealed with palpable passion. He went on to express heartfelt solidarity with his former team—some of whom stood by his side for over two glorious decades!
Despite the gut-punch of cancellation, Firor's spirit remains uncrushed! While not officially attached to any new projects birthed by the talented ZeniMax alumni after the layoffs, he's riding the advisory wave 'informally', ensuring these incredible talents are steered by expert hands!
As for what’s next? Firor's keeping it thrillingly mysterious. While he dips his toes into advising startups and supporting lean, mean indie teams, he hasn't yet made moves toward launching a new dev powerhouse. But in the ever-turbulent seas of game development, who knows what treasures await?
This epic news arises from the ashes of 'Project Blackbird', an ambitious MMORPG and shining beacon of sci-fi creativity that had been under Xbox's grand plan since 2018, only to meet its untimely end in the summer 2025 sweep of layoffs that rippled through Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios.
Now, under the skilled leadership of 13-year veteran Joseph Burba, ZeniMax Online Studios keeps the torch burning with 'The Elder Scrolls Online', beloved by fans and continuing to grow with updates like the smashing 'Gold Road'. Here's to the next chapter for Firor and the enduring legacy of innovation he's gifted to gamers everywhere!
Rebekah Valentine dives deep into the stories shaping the gaming world. Have a lead? Shoot it over to rvalentine@ign.com!