Founder of ZeniMax Online Confirms Departure Following Microsoft's Cancellation of Project Blackbird

Matt Firor, the founder of ZeniMax Online, has officially confirmed that he left the studio after Microsoft canceled Project Blackbird, a game he had been eager to create throughout his entire career. The cancellation of the long-in-development MMO was announced in July, as part of Microsoft's broader cuts and layoffs, and Firor departed the company the same month. In a recent LinkedIn post, Firor expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their support and acknowledged that the cancellation of Project Blackbird was the primary reason for his resignation. He also mentioned that he is still undecided about his future plans, although he has been informally advising some projects and startups, and has made investments in promising teams that could shape the industry's future. Firor clarified that he is not involved in any projects initiated by his former team but is offering informal guidance to some of them.