Recent widespread layoffs at Xbox, which have impacted id Software, may have led to the cancellation of multiple potential projects, including a reboot of the Perfect Dark franchise and a John Wick-inspired action game. Gamesbeat reports that id Software, now significantly reduced in size and reportedly transitioning to the Unreal Engine from its proprietary engine, was considering a new Perfect Dark title. This reboot would have been the first new entry in the series since Perfect Dark Zero in 2005.
Concept art for the Perfect Dark reboot was reportedly in development. However, the report suggests that the studio's drastically reduced staff and resources make the project highly unlikely to proceed. This is not the first time Microsoft has reportedly cancelled a Perfect Dark reboot in recent years; a previous effort by developer The Initiative was also scrapped following a large wave of layoffs in 2025.
Another casualty of the recent cuts appears to be an original game concept codenamed "Fury." This project was described as a John Wick-style "gun fu" game with sci-fi, noir, and gangster elements, set in a modern, cyberpunk-like environment drawing inspiration from Louisiana and Chicago. While the concept was reportedly explored, it was not formally greenlit for production.
Id Software, known for its work on the Doom series, was seen by some as well-suited to develop such a title, given its expertise in shooter games. However, the significant talent drain from the studio raises questions about its capacity to undertake ambitious new projects. The future development direction for the reshaped id Software remains unclear following these extensive workforce reductions.