The Initiative is bringing in extra support to help with its Perfect Dark franchise reboot, with Crystal Dynamics sharing development duties with the first-party team.
Perfect Dark, currently in development at Microsoft’s first-party studio The Initiative, will be developed in partnership with Marvel’s Avengers and Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics.
Revealed via a pair of tweets from The Initiative’s Twitter account, the studio noted that “the teams couldn’t pass up a chance to work together”.
The teams couldn’t pass up a chance to work together. We’re still early in development, but incredibly excited to use this unique opportunity to deliver on the vision for Perfect Dark!
— TheInitiative (@TheInitiative) September 24, 2021
Perfect Dark being co-developed with Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics posted its own tweet in response to the announcement.
We’re thrilled to add Perfect Dark to our development efforts alongside Marvel’s Avengers and Tomb Raider.
— Crystal Dynamics (@CrystalDynamics) September 24, 2021
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As the studio notes, its most recent output has been as the main developer of Marvel’s Avengers, and as the team behind the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot and its first sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Darrell Gallagher, studio head for The Initiative, was previously head of Crystal Dynamics, so it’s perhaps not too surprising to see the teams come together for the long-dormant franchise’s reimagining.
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Announced at The Game Awards 2020, Perfect Dark will be the studio’s first title since its inception in 2018, with the team featuring alumni from the likes of Rockstar, Sony Santa Monica, Respawn Entertainment, and Naughty Dog.
The project still doesn’t have a release date but will mark the series’ first new entry since 2005’s Perfect Dark Zero – an Xbox 360 launch title.