Perfect Dark Actress Wants Another Publisher to Pick Up the Cancelled Xbox Game

Xbox stunned many in the video game industry earlier this month when the company announced plans to cancel several games, and close the studios working on them. One of the games cancelled was Perfect Dark, which was in development from The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics. The game had gotten a big focus during an Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024, and seemed to finally be getting on track after years of reported problems. None of that seems to matter now, but some fans aren’t giving up hope, and want to see another publisher pick up the game and help it get released.

One person advocating for this is Alix Wilton Regan. Regan was set to take on the role of Joanna Dark in Perfect Dark, prior to the game’s cancellation. The actress shared her disappointment about the cancellation in a post on X/Twitter, in which she vowed that “like Joanna, we will all rise again.” This prompted some fans to share their hopes that another publisher might step in and help the game see the light of day. Regan followed up, saying that many people have now expressed this idea to her, and she’s trying to build support for such an effort. Her X/Twitter post can be found embedded below.

Obviously, there are some pretty big hurdles that stand in the way. The biggest of these is the fact that Microsoft owns the rights to the Perfect Dark franchise. That would mean Xbox would either have to license out the rights to another company, or sell them entirely. There is some precedent for this, as Microsoft sold the Hi-Fi Rush rights to Krafton last year, along with the development team at Tango Gameworks. It’s worth noting that situation was a little different, as Hi-Fi Rush was a completed and fully released game, and Microsoft only owned the now-closed studio The Initiative and not Crystal Dynamics.

That said, Crystal Dynamics is owned by Embracer Group. Based on their past history of purchasing studios and properties, it’s not unthinkable that Perfect Dark could end up there. Some fans have also expressed an interest in Nintendo purchasing the property, since the original Perfect Dark started as an N64 exclusive. Nintendo has largely avoided the kind of acquisitions that have become common throughout the video game industry, but the company did fund three Bayonetta games during the Switch generation. It’s not inconceivable that Perfect Dark could wind up back at Nintendo again.

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Unfortunately, all of this is just speculation. It’s possible that Perfect Dark truly is dead and buried until the day Microsoft decides to give it another chance. That’s not what anyone wants to hear, but it’s very much in keeping with how the company has handled all of Rare’s past properties since taking control of the developer more than two decades ago. Banjo-Kazooie fans are feeling every bit as disappointed by how that’s all been handled!

Are you disappointed about the cancellation of Perfect Dark? Do you think there’s any chance of another publisher saving the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Nintendo Life]