Microsoft set up the youngest studio in their first part portfolio, The Initiative, back in 2018, and the developer confirmed (after months of speculation and leaks) at The Game Awards this past December that they’re working on a Perfect Dark reboot. They have, however, lost a key member of their development team.
Drew Murray, who was design director at The Initiative and has been at the studio since the beginning in November 2018, recently confirmed that he will be leaving the studio. Murray stated in a thread on his Twitter that his life outside of work “needs more attention and headspace” than he’s been able to give it, and will be stepping down from his role as a result. Xbox boss Phill Spencer also took the opportunity to thank Murray for his help in setting up the foundation for both the studio and its debut game.
Before joining The Initiative, Murray was at Insomniac for a little over ten years. During that time, he was a designer on Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and the entire Resistance trilogy, before going on to serve as game director on Sunset Overdrive.
Perfect Dark is currently in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC, but has no release date just yet.