The Initiative (company)

Last updated

The Initiative
Company type Division
Industry Video games
FoundedJune 2018;7 years ago (June 2018)
FounderDarrell Gallagher
DefunctJuly 2, 2025 (2025-07-02)
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
,
US
Key people
Products Perfect Dark
Number of employees
56 [1]  (2022)
Parent Xbox Game Studios
Website theinitiative.com

The Initiative was an American video game developer and a studio of Xbox Game Studios based in Santa Monica, California, formed in 2018. The studio was working on a new installment in the Perfect Dark series. On July 2, 2025, the studio shut down as a part of Microsoft's layoffs. [2]

Contents

History

At E3 2018, Xbox Game Studios head Phil Spencer announced the formation of The Initiative, a new internal video game development company led by Darrell Gallagher, who had previously served as studio head of Crystal Dynamics. [3] It is Microsoft's first game development studio in Santa Monica. [4] At its formation, it aimed to create and produce big-budget titles. In addition to Gallagher, the studio recruited several industry veterans, including Christian Cantamessa (writer of Red Dead Redemption ) and Brian Westergaard (senior producer of 2018's God of War ), as well as talents from BioWare, Naughty Dog, Respawn Entertainment, Santa Monica Studio, Blizzard Entertainment, Insomniac Games and Rockstar Games. [5] [6] [7] [8]

At The Game Awards 2020, it was revealed that the studio was working on a Perfect Dark reboot. [9]

In July 2025, it was announced that The Initiative would be closed, and that development of the Perfect Dark reboot would be stopped. [10]

References

  1. ↑ Lopez, Ule (September 24, 2021). "Perfect Dark Reboot will be a Collaborative Effort Between The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics". Wccftech. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  2. ↑ Croft, Liam (July 2, 2025). "Mass Xbox Layoffs Begin, Everwild and Perfect Dark Reportedly Cancelled". Push Square. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  3. ↑ Grant, Christopher (June 10, 2018). "Microsoft has five (!) new internal studios". Polygon . Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  4. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (June 16, 2018). "How Darrell Gallagher plans to build Microsoft's The Initiative studio in Santa Monica". VentureBeat . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ Robinson, Andy (August 12, 2020). "Xbox's new studio signs yet more experience from Respawn, BioWare". Video Games Chronicles. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  6. ↑ Parijat, Shubhankar (May 12, 2020). "The Initiative Recruits Former Naughty Dog, Rockstar Programmer". GamingBolt. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  7. ↑ Robinson, Andy (July 23, 2019). "Xbox studio hires group of God of War designers". Video Games Chronicles. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  8. ↑ Robinson, Andy (December 12, 2020). "Analysis: Who's working on the new Perfect Dark?". Video Games Chronicles. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  9. ↑ Conditt, Jessica (December 12, 2020). "Xbox studio The Initiative is working on 'Perfect Dark'". Engadget . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  10. ↑ Corden, Jez (July 2, 2025). "Microsoft is closing down Xbox studio The Initiative, with Perfect Dark killed as well — joining Everwild and ZeniMax's IP, and other unannounced projects". Windows Central. Retrieved July 2, 2025.


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