In-engine footage of ZeniMax Online Studio’s cancelled Project Blackbird has leaked online. The two minutes of footage was reportedly used internally at ZeniMax to demonstrate the game’s lighting within Unreal Engine 4.
Project Blackbird was cancelled by Microsoft in July 2025. This cancellation occurred as part of Microsoft's broader layoffs, which also affected other projects at the publisher. The game had an intended release date of 2028.
Reports indicate that Microsoft Gaming executives were impressed by the game during a presentation just months before its cancellation. Microsoft Gaming has not publicly stated the reason for Project Blackbird's cancellation. The decision to cancel the game resulted in the layoff of approximately 300 developers and the departure of studio president Matt Firor.