Microsoft has drafted Crystal Dynamics, the team behind Marvel’s Avengers and the mid-2010s Tomb Raider reboot, to assist developer The Initiative in bringing the Perfect Dark reboot to life. The news came via a Twitter post from The Initiative last night. However, details on the nature of the partnership are not yet forthcoming.
It’s an unexpected announcement, as The Initiative has been positioned as one of Microsoft’s flagship studios of the future, with Perfect Dark being marketed as a “AAAA” game. The studio was initially revealed back at E3 2018 alongside Microsoft’s first sweep of big acquisitions,though its Perfect Dark reboot was only announced at last year’s The Game Awards. While that announcement came alongside a snazzy CG trailer, today’s news is interesting in that a follow-up tweet indicates that the game is still “early in development.”
Perfect Dark update! We are partnering with Crystal Dynamics, the world class team behind character-driven games such as Tomb Raider, to bring this first-person spy thriller to a new generation. pic.twitter.com/EiqjU99wMa
— TheInitiative (@TheInitiative) September 24, 2021
Over on Crystal Dynamics’ feed, meanwhile, the team says that its responsibilities for Perfect Dark will be added to its ongoing work on Avengers and the Tomb Raider franchise.
And while the Perfect Dark / The Initiative / Crystal Dynamics partnership is surprising, it’s not without a logical background. The Initiative’s studio head, Darrell Gallagher, spent more than a decade at Crystal Dynamics, including a broader leadership role across Square Enix, before departing in early 2016.
The game is expected to arrive for the Xbox Series X | S and PC, but when that will be is anyone’s guess.
