The Fallout from Blackbird
When Project Blackbird was canceled, it didn’t just mark the end of a game. It marked the end of an era for many at ZeniMax Online Studios. The team behind the ambitious sci-fi MMO, a project once compared to Cyberpunk 2077 and Destiny, found themselves suddenly unemployed after years of development. It’s the kind of heartbreak that feels routine in today’s industry, but something different happened this time. Instead of scattering to other studios, several veteran developers decided to build something entirely new.
They called it Sackbird Studios. (Yes, it’s a dark little joke. They were “sacked,” and now they’ve taken flight.)
The studio is fully employee-owned and completely self-funded, formed by fewer than ten senior developers who previously worked on The Elder Scrolls Online and Project Blackbird. Based in Baltimore, Sackbird has enough funding to operate independently for several years. That means no external investors, no publisher oversight, and no chasing quarterly revenue targets. Just a small group of developers determined to make games on their own terms.
Why Microsoft Let Blackbird Go
As sad as the cancellation was, it wasn’t surprising. Once Microsoft acquired ZeniMax, priorities shifted. Live-service games are no longer the sure bet they once were. Players, many of them now in their thirties and forties, are burnt out. The idea of grinding through another online world or coordinating schedules for a raid doesn’t appeal to someone balancing work, kids, and limited free time.
Microsoft already owns World of Warcraft, the biggest MMORPG. Between its retail and classic versions, it dominates the genre with millions of active players across regions. Adding another MMO under the same roof wouldn’t just be redundant. It could actively hurt WoW by pulling players away. Why fund a project that competes with your own flagship?
From a business perspective, canceling Project Blackbird was a rational decision. From a creative one, it was tragic.
A New Way Forward
What Sackbird Studios is doing feels like a quiet rebellion. Instead of chasing massive budgets and impossible expectations, they’re embracing the freedom that comes with small-scale development. Their goal isn’t to follow trends. It’s to build something bold and character-driven. Something that reflects their experience without the suffocating oversight of corporate management.
The team has been open about wanting to protect their craft. That means sustainable work hours, creative control, and the freedom to take risks without worrying about shareholder reactions. In their words, it’s about “building a developer-first studio,” a philosophy that feels rare in an industry obsessed with growth over health.
They haven’t revealed what their first game will be, only that it’s an original title for PC and consoles. Given their background, it could borrow ideas from Project Blackbird, a world rich in narrative depth, with gameplay that blends exploration and discovery. But, it wouldn’t be surprising if they steer clear of the MMO format entirely.
Personally, I hope they do. The idea of a game that can be played solo or cooperatively, something like No Man’s Sky without the constant need to be online, feels right for the times. More and more players are saying the same thing: “I’m 40+, I have kids. I don’t have time for group content.” Sackbird could be the studio that finally listens.
Why This Matters
There’s a saying: “You dodged a bullet.” Sometimes what feels like a loss is actually liberation. For the developers who left ZeniMax, Sackbird is that second chance. They escaped what could have become another development nightmare under a massive corporate umbrella.
The story of Sackbird Studios isn’t just about layoffs. It’s about reclamation. It’s about a group of developers taking back control of their work and proving that creative passion doesn’t have to die inside a corporation.
If they succeed, Sackbird could become a model for what the next generation of studios looks like: small, independent, and driven by craft rather than quarterly profit.
Sackbird Studios represents the future many developers quietly wish for. A future where creativity isn’t filtered through shareholder reports. Walking away from Blackbird and everything that came with it, they’ve chosen freedom over security. Art over survival.
Sometimes getting fired isn’t the end of the story. It’s the moment you start writing your own.
