New Perfect Dark Reboot Footage Surfaces After Xbox Cancellation
A VFX developer's portfolio reportedly yielded clips showing destructible environments, sci-fi weapons and parkour from the canceled Xbox project.
New footage from Xbox's canceled Perfect Dark reboot has appeared online, according to a report from MP1st. The outlet says the clips were seemingly acquired from a VFX developer's portfolio.
The footage shows destructible environments, sci-fi weapons, parkour traversal and explosion effects. It also includes developers testing weapons in greybox environments alongside more fleshed-out levels.
The reboot was in development at The Initiative, the Xbox studio spun up in 2018, with heavy support from Crystal Dynamics. The Initiative shut down last year before releasing its first Xbox project, and Crystal Dynamics also laid off staff after the cancellation.
In October 2025, actress Alix Wilton Regan said the game was "pretty far along" and that she had done entire chapters of the universe. According to Bloomberg, Take-Two expressed interest in financing the game, but the deal fell through.
Perfect Dark began as a Rare franchise, with Perfect Dark Zero launching as an Xbox 360 launch title in November 2005 to mixed reviews. Doom developer id Software had also been "toying with pitches" for a Perfect Dark game, and Rare's Everwild was canceled along with the reboot.
Quick answers
Was the Perfect Dark reboot canceled?
Yes. The Initiative, the Xbox studio behind the reboot, shut down last year before releasing its first Xbox project, and the game was canceled.
What does the new Perfect Dark footage show?
The clips show destructible environments, sci-fi weapons, parkour traversal and explosion effects, along with developers testing weapons in greybox environments and in fleshed-out levels.