When Microsoft and Xbox announced layoffs numbering in the thousands earlier this year, it meant the end for a whole bunch of upcoming game projects. Many studios were forced to downsize, and some shuttered entirely, as a result. Luckily, some enterprising developers are turning the bad news into something positive.
A group of former devs from ZeniMax Online Studios, which made The Elder Scrolls Online and scrapped looter shooter Blackbird, have banded together to form a new company called Sackbird Studios. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the team is going for the employee-owned, self-funded route. "With no outside investors and full creative control, the team is focused on building great games—on their own terms," the announcement states.
Right now, the senior team numbers fewer than ten people, including CEO Lee Ridout and COO David Worley. Sackbird is already in active development on its first project, but the crew isn't sharing any details other than that the game will be available on both PC and consoles.