Perfect Dark (cancelled video game)

Perfect Dark is a cancelled first-person shooter game that was under development by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics for Windows and Xbox Series X/S. As a reboot of the Perfect Dark series, the game aimed to revitalize the franchise with modern gameplay mechanics and a new narrative. Set in a near-future world grappling with environmental collapse, players would have stepped into the role of agent Joanna Dark, navigating a world where megacorporations conceal secrets amidst efforts to restore ecological balance.

Announced at The Game Awards in 2020, Perfect Dark was the first project by The Initiative, a first-party team established by Xbox Game Studios in 2018. Production was slowed by various problems, including significant personnel turnover and creative differences. A gameplay trailer was revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024. In July 2025, it was announced that the game would cease production and that The Initiative would be closed as part of numerous rounds of layoffs by Microsoft.