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Former Elder Scrolls Online boss Matt Firor has finally discussed his abrupt departure from Zenimax Online, confirming that Microsoft's massive wave of layoffs and cancellations, which saw the end of his budding MMO codenamed Project Blackbird, is to blame.
In a message posted to Bluesky on January 1, Firor said he's not "directly involved" in any projects founded by former Zenimax Online members, though he is "advising some of them informally." But I'm personally more interested in the answer to the second-most common question he's apparently received: why did he leave?
"The most obvious explanation is the correct one," Firor wrote. "Project Blackbird was the game I had waited my entire career to create, and having it canceled led to my resignation. My heart and thoughts are always with the impacted team members, many of whom I had worked 20+ years with, and all of whom were the most dedicated, amazingly talented group of developers in the industry."
Firor departed Zenimax on July 2, 2025 after 18 years with the company. The same day, it was first reported that Project Blackbird, said to be a Destiny-like looter shooter in the works since 2018, had been caught in the crossfire of Microsoft's layoffs, which hit Xbox and its array of studios hard. Multiple other games, like Rare's long-struggling Everwild, also got the axe.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer, a noted Destiny fan, reportedly enjoyed what he played of Blackbird so much that Matt Booty had to steer the executive back on track because he couldn't put the controller down during a meeting.
Microsoft punishing hundreds or thousands of people for the crime of making good or promising games is nothing new, of course. Salt in the wound was Spencer arguing mid-bloodbath that "our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger" and that's only because "the success we're seeing currently is based on tough decisions we've made previously."
What's next for Firor? He says "I still haven't figured that out," though he's not "totally sitting on the sidelines" even if he hasn't "seriously contemplated spinning up a new development studio." For now, he's "made some investments in small teams that I know will play a big part in changing the industry in the future."
Fellow Zenimax alum Rich Lambert said he's still eager to make a new game despite Blackbird's untimely demise.
