Announced back at the 2020 Game Awards, a lot of fans were excited to see the return of Perfect Dark. With the first game launching back in 2000, and its prequel Perfect Dark Zero releasing in 2005, fans have been waiting well over a decade for the release of a new title in the franchise. Originally, the new Perfect Dark was in development at The Initiative, Microsoft's first-party studio, but work on the game has reportedly been rife with troubles since it began.
This led the studio behind the recent Tomb Raider games, Crystal Dynamics, to step in and help support the development of Perfect Dark. Recently, Head of Xbox Studios Matt Booty spoke in a Q&A at PAX West, speaking on the decision to bring Crystal Dynamics in to assist on Perfect Dark. Booty said that just because Xbox had made a partnership with Crystal Dynamics doesn't mean there's any big "problem" with the development of Perfect Dark. Instead, the Head of Xbox Studios believed it was a logical move.
Considering the "veteran team" at Crystal Dynamics, Booty stated that "of course [Xbox] wants to work with them." This was especially the case for bringing Crystal Dynamics in to work on Perfect Dark, as the studio has previously handled the revival of another franchise in Tomb Raider. Booty didn't comment further on how Perfect Dark's development was going, but it seemed from his statements on the partnership with Crystal Dynamics that Xbox isn't particularly concerned with the work on the game.
Booty moved on from speaking specifically about Perfect Dark, instead going on to talk about how AAA titles are made in the modern gaming world. According to Booty, work on large-scale games has become a "lot more complicated," due to the inclusion of co-development in so many big releases. He referenced Xbox's work on Age of Empires 4, which released in 2021, and the creation of the successful Microsoft Flight Simulator as that game was the product of a partnership with a studio in France called Asobo.
Even with Matt Booty stating that the way Perfect Dark is being developed is just how AAA titles are made in modern times, some fans are still concerned about the future of the game due to the fact Xbox hasn't shown anything about it in some time. There were some expectations for Perfect Dark to be at the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, but these hopes were dashed as the reboot still proves to be an elusive title.
Perfect Dark is in development.
Source: VGC