Perfect Dark Remake Was Nearly Saved by Take-Two Before Deal Collapsed
The long-troubled Perfect Dark remake came close to being rescued before its cancellation, according to a new Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier. Sources revealed that Take-Two Interactive had been in talks with Microsoft to acquire the game rights and continue development, but negotiations collapsed over disagreements about long-term IP ownership.
Following the game’s official cancellation in July and the simultaneous closure of The Initiative, members of both The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics (which had been assisting development) began seeking external funding to keep the project alive. Take-Two emerged as the most serious candidate, reportedly expressing strong interest in acquiring the rights.
However, Microsoft and Take-Two could not agree on the question of who would ultimately own Perfect Dark. Without a resolution, the deal fell through, leaving the project permanently shelved.
Perfect Dark was first announced during The Game Awards 2020 as the flagship project for Microsoft’s new Santa Monica studio, The Initiative. But the studio quickly found the scope overwhelming. By September 2021, Microsoft announced a co-development partnership with Crystal Dynamics, known for rebooting the Tomb Raider franchise. The collaboration made sense, as The Initiative’s founder, Darrell Gallagher, had previously spent more than a decade at Crystal Dynamics.
Despite this partnership, development struggled for years.
After nearly three years of silence, fans were finally shown a gameplay trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024. The footage promised a tactical first-person shooter with influences from stealth and immersive sims. Key features included:
Parkour-like movement system for fluid traversal.
Interactive environments, enhancing tactical gameplay.
A plot centered on Joanna Dark investigating megacorporations exploiting ecological crises for their own gain.
Joanna Dark’s likeness based on model Elissa Bibaud, with performance capture by actress Alix Wilton Regan (Dragon Age: Inquisition, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide).
The reveal sparked cautious optimism, but with Microsoft’s cancellation and the failed Take-Two deal, that vision will never be realized.
Crystal Dynamics, which was contributing significant resources to the project, has already been hit by layoffs as a result of the collapse. For fans of the Perfect Dark franchise, this likely marks the end of the long-awaited reboot. The IP remains with Microsoft, but without an active developer or clear plans, its future looks uncertain.
Do you think Microsoft made the right decision in holding onto Perfect Dark instead of letting Take-Two continue development, or did they miss an opportunity to keep the franchise alive?
