Firor quits ZeniMax after Blackbird axed, won’t lead new spin-offs

A legendary game dev just rage-quit because corporate suits killed his dream project. Matt Firor confirmed that his departure from ZeniMax Online Studios happened because the company scrapped Project Blackbird. The industry veteran posted on LinkedIn to clarify he holds zero leadership roles at new studios that have established staff. Firor claimed he advises some teams informally while staying on the sidelines. He described Blackbird as the specific title he waited his entire career to build.

Microsoft mandated these cuts to chase AI investments. This decision ended seven years of work involving around 200 developers under Creative Director Ben Jones. Lead Graphics Programmer Alex Tardif defended the visual quality publicly. Reports suggest Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer refused to put the controller down during a playtest. A reporter named Jason Schreier viewed a vertical slice video that looked impressive.

Leaks described a third-person sci-fi shooter set on a tidally locked exoplanet named Soteria. Zones included a frozen side and a scorched side separated by The Twilight Band. Users played as Revenants, completing cooperative missions for alien syndicates. The loop involved building a reputation through contracts with a sci-fi noir atmosphere.

Sackbird Studios might eventually release something fresh since that team consists of Blackbird developers.