Ex-Elder Scrolls Online Boss Opens Up About Microsoft Killing His Dream Game: ‘A Giant Successful Video Game On The Microsoft Level Was Frankly Not That Stimulating To Them’
Former ZeniMax Online Studios head Matt Firor discussed the cancellation of Project Blackbird, an ambitious online sci-fi RPG and spiritual successor to The Elder Scrolls Online, which Microsoft axed in 2025 amid cost-cutting measures. Despite reported enthusiasm from Phil Spencer, Firor said Microsoft prioritized predictable financial returns over creative or entertainment value. He described the decision as financially driven, not personal, but still devastating given his deep personal investment in the project. Firor ultimately left the company following the cancellation, criticizing the challenges of aligning game development with corporate financial expectations.
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Ex-Elder Scrolls Online Boss Opens Up About Microsoft Killing His Dream Game: ‘A Giant Successful Video Game On The Microsoft Level Was Frankly Not That Stimulating To Them’ ZeniMax Online Studios' Matt Firor weighed in on the tech giant's thinking in a new interview Project BlackbirdThe Elder Scrolls Online By Ethan Gach Published April 28, 2026 | Comments (1) | 𝕏 Copied! Bethesda Microsoft has canceled a lot of projects over the past few years, but none live in the imagination quite like Project Blackbird, an online loot shooter RPG from the studio behind The Elder Scrolls Online. It was one of the casualties of the tech giant’s cost-cutting in the summer of 2025, despite then–Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer reportedly having loved what he played of it.
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