By Demi Williams
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?
TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Contact Future’s experts
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Web notifications
Accessibility Statement
Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,
Please login or signup to comment
Please wait…