Even though fans haven't gotten a proper look at it just yet, Perfect Dark could be a crucial part of the Xbox Series X's game library in the coming years. As a revival of a beloved franchise, Perfect Dark already has a lot of clout, and its potential blend of stealth and first-person shooting could make it a highly unique addition to the Xbox lineup. Ever since The Initiative announced the game at The Game Awards 2020, fans have been waiting eagerly for more information, but so far, few official updates have come along, save for one major update that's a little alarming.
Reports have surfaced that as much as half of The Initiative's original staff have left the studio, parting ways with Perfect Dark. Some of these former developers have claimed that staff left due to frustrations about Perfect Dark's direction in development, as well as the amount of control that The Initiative exerted over its developers' work. This news is unfortunate, but Perfect Dark fans shouldn't take it as a sign that the game is in trouble. Perfect Dark is far enough along that it has probably escaped the risk of cancellation, and Microsoft's commitment to The Initiative bodes well for Perfect Dark too.
Why Perfect Dark Will Probably Survive
Various signs suggest that Perfect Dark is actually pretty far in development. Although The Initiative hasn't revealed Perfect Dark gameplay, Phil Spencer played the game in February 2020, nearly a year before it was officially revealed. Two years have passed since then, meaning Perfect Dark has almost certainly made significant progress since then, even if The Initaitive was experiencing unrest. Perfect Dark being playable in early 2020 suggests that the game is in a significantly more advanced state by now, meaning it's close enough to a marketable state that it's probably safe from cancellation.
Beyond Perfect Dark's state of development, the relationship between Microsoft and The Initiative suggests that Perfect Dark isn't going to be scrapped anytime soon. Fans might remember that Microsoft has proudly described The Initiative as a AAAA studio, meaning it clearly hopes The Initiative will break new ground in terms of game quality and innovation. Microsoft seems to place too much faith in its young subsidiary to cancel its first game; it'd be highly disappointing to walk away from a studio with so much potential after all the hype. Instead, it'll probably buckle down to give Perfect Dark the support it needs to survive.
The Initiative's Strange Journey
Although Perfect Dark is probably safe from cancellation, that doesn't mean The Initiative's internal restructure won't have an impact. With so many developers walking away from The Initiative, Perfect Dark could very well face delays and take significantly longer to complete than originally expected. With so little official information on when to expect Perfect Dark's release, it's hard to say how Perfect Dark's goalposts will move due to these changes and how different the final product will look. Maybe Crystal Dynamics can help Perfect Dark avoid languishing in development, since it's already providing some assistance.
It's a shame that Perfect Dark's ex-developers reportedly had such a different experience under The Initiative from what they expected. The Initiative probably would've preferred to keep Perfect Dark on schedule, but according to former employees, this is the hand that The Initiative has dealt itself. Perfect Dark will almost certainly be delayed as the studio fills its vacancies, even if it isn't likely to be canceled altogether. Perfect Dark still has a good shot at being the strong debut that The Initiative always wanted to have, but so many former developers leaving the studio at once will probably be an odd and complicated past of The Initiative's history for as long as it's active.
Perfect Dark is in development.