The first players were excited about a new MMORPG, but you will never see it

The new MMORPG from the creators of Elder Scrolls Online would have been a real hit, say early testers. Xbox chief Phil Spencer is said to have been convinced as well. Nevertheless, Microsoft has halted development.

Which game is being talked about? Project “Blackbird” was an AAA MMORPG that was in development at ZeniMax Online Studios – the creators of Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), which was released back in 2014.

After 7 years, Blackbird has been completely canceled. The reason was a wave of layoffs: Microsoft laid off a staggering 9,000 employees, with ZeniMax Online Studios being affected as well.

In Elder Scrolls Online, the first part of the new seasons of the Worm Cult is currently running:

The Elder Scrolls Online: Seasons of the Worm Cult – Part 1 – Release Trailer

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Even hard-to-convince critics loved Blackbird

Blackbird would have been really good! This was the opinion of at least the first testers, according to Xbox insider SneakersSO. He reacted to a post by Matt Fior, who announced his resignation as president of ZeniMax Online.

When it begins to come out just how fucking incredible the title he was working on was that got axed today.
Source: NeoGAF

The game received some of the best reactions from playtesters that he had heard in years. And that is not easy to achieve anymore. “It takes an absolute truck load to have folks heap praise on an MP playtest in modern times,” the leaker continues.

SneakersSO had previously correctly leaked Xbox’s multiplatform plans, so his word carries weight. (Source: videogamer)

Xbox chief Phil Spencer is said to have been excited as well. How Jason Schreier reported for Bloomberg, Spencer played the title at a presentation in March. The CEO reportedly had so much fun that Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, eventually had to take the controller away from him to continue with the meeting.

A mix of Destiny 2 and Blade Runner

What kind of game would Blackbird have been? Jason Schreier provides some information on this as well:

Blackbird would have been a “third-person, online looter shooter” in a brand new engine. Schreier compares the game to Destiny 2.
The aesthetics of the game are described as “sci-fi noir” and compared to films like Blade Runner.
The game would have placed a strong emphasis on vertical movement: players would have run up walls “like superheroes” and swung around large buildings with grappling hooks.