{"id":61688,"date":"2025-08-06T03:35:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T03:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/61688\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T03:35:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T03:35:08","slug":"zenimaxs-cancelled-project-blackbird-first-look-at-footage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/61688\/","title":{"rendered":"Zenimax’s Cancelled “Project Blackbird”: First Look at Footage"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Microsoft\u2019s latest restructuring<\/a>, ZeniMax Online Studios\u2019 highly anticipated new IP, internally codenamed \u201cBlackbird,\u201d became one of the notable casualties. The long-awaited project, which had been a subject of anticipation for years, was cancelled alongside other significant titles such as Rare\u2019s Everwild and the Perfect Dark reboot.<\/a><\/p>\n

The game\u2019s existence was originally uncovered through various job listings and a 2020 document unearthed<\/a> from the FTC vs. Microsoft case, where the project was first revealed as \u201cProject Kestrel\u201d, along with a planned expansion for it. However, this codename was short-lived, as according to Bloomberg, it was later changed to \u201cBlackbird\u201d due to Zenimax\u2019s intention to use\u00a0\u201cKestrel\u201d as the game\u2019s final title.<\/p>\n

Concerning the game\u2019s content, reports indicated \u201cBlackbird\u201d was envisioned as a third-person sci-fi MMORPG, featuring a high degree of mobility comparable to titles like Titanfall, and a vast open world, though with a particular focus on the planet\u2019s capital city, named \u201cExodus\u201d. It is also said that the game received nothing but high praise from Xbox executives, making its cancellation particularly disheartening, as we will never see it completed. However, our curiosity led us to uncover over two minutes of footage offering a glimpse at the game\u2019s animations, along with some of the models for the creatures and characters we would have seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cProject Blackbird\u201d Footage Unveiled<\/p>\n

This material originates from the portfolio of a ZeniMax animator, revealing a wide variety of development animations. These include facial animation tests, weapon animations, player body proportion tests, and mobility cycles for five distinct species: W\u2019Hurra, Wretzel, Skreev, Coyo, and Kronar. Interestingly, a report from True Achievements<\/a>, which includes plot details, describes one of these races, the W\u2019Hurran, as tall and furry aliens who were \u201cwere masters of business.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next species shown, the Wretzel, appears equally humanoid, suggesting that we would likely have been able to interact with both. However, concerning the remaining species\u2014Skreev, Coyo, and Kronar\u2014their more prominent animalistic features suggest they might have solely been part of the world\u2019s fauna.<\/p>\n

Regarding the weapon animations, we can observe a prototype for a female player character in sci-fi armor, wielding two light and two heavy weapons, all of which share the same futuristic aesthetic. Lastly, the footage presents body proportion tests, likely intended for player character customization.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

All of this material appears to have been captured just days after the game\u2019s cancellation, as indicated by the dates we\u2019ve found within other related files. However, despite these timestamps, we still don\u2019t know how early this development material truly is concerning its state just prior to the project\u2019s termination.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Microsoft ultimately shelved the game, directly impacting over 200 developers who were working on it. Despite a misleading headline that circulated claiming no ZeniMax Online developers were laid off following the cancellation of \u201cBlackbird,\u201d industry reporter Jason Schreier quickly clarified<\/a> that while these developers were temporarily retained during severance package negotiations, nearly all were, in fact, losing their jobs.<\/p>\n

In other related news to Bethesda, which is owned by ZeniMax, we reported that its sci-fi RPG Starfield won\u2019t be out on the PS5 this year, and is instead targeting a Spring 2026 release window<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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