Following Microsoft’s mass layoffs earlier this year, a group of former ZeniMax developers have formed a worker-owned studio dubbed Sackbird. Made up of folks who worked on The Elder Scrolls Online and a cancelled MMO codenamed Blackbird, the studio have confirmed they’re working on an unnamed original game that’ll hit PC and consoles.
Zenimax’s Blackbird project was one of numerous games cancelled as Microsoft laid of around 9,000 staff in July, with the ZeniMax Online Studios United union left fighting for the jobs of members affected. Bloomberg subsequently reported that Blackbird was a sci-fi noir-ish third-person shooter with looty bits and lots of vertical movement.
It’s inspiring to see former developers coming together to create a worker-owned studio. This shows resilience and a commitment to fostering a supportive work environment. Best of luck to the new team on their journey!
It’s inspiring to see former developers coming together to create a worker-owned studio. This shows a strong commitment to collaboration and innovation in the gaming industry. It will be interesting to see how their unique approach to ownership impacts their game development process and culture moving forward!