Laid-off Zenimax Media employees have come together to found a new employee-owned organisation, Sackbird Studios. The studio comprises developers who worked on The Elder Scrolls Online and Project Blackbird, the sci-fi MMO that Xbox cancelled despite Phil Spencer singing the game’s praises.
According to the studio’s new website, the studio is “self-funded for multiple years,” allowing the developers to create something without the immediate need for investment. Sackbird is currently composed of approximately ten senior developers.
Creative Independence
The cancellation of Project Blackbird is described as the catalyst for the formation of Sackbird.
“When I learned that Blackbird was being cancelled and a lot of people were losing their jobs, it lit a fire,” says Lee Ridout, Sackbird CEO. “We realised the best way to protect our craft—and our team—was to create a studio where creative independence isn’t negotiable.”
The cancellation of a multi-year project can be devastating to everyone involved — professionals are often prevented from showcasing their work due to copyright concerns, and individuals who have invested a significant portion of their lives in a project never get to see the final result.
Sackbird Studios’ employee-led approach is becoming increasingly common in the creative industries, as the relentless need for growth often results in brutal layoffs.
“After years in AAA, we wanted the freedom to take smart risks without waiting for a greenlight or chasing quarterly targets, says David Worley, COO. “We’re fully employee-owned and funded, which means we only answer to people who are passionate about games.”
That final line may be a nod towards Microsoft, which laid off over a hundred employees at Zenimax in July. The lay-offs at Zenimax coincided with the cancellation of Perfect Dark, Everwild and the closure of The Initiative.
Ridout, however, is thankful for the time the team spent at Zenimax, despite how their tenure ended. “We are grateful for our time at Zenimax Online Studios; it shaped us as developers and as people,” Ridout says.
The website doesn’t give any indication of the nature of the studio’s first project, but does promise, “the studio is focused on crafting bold, character-driven experiences free from corporate compromises.”
- Date Founded
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August 1, 2007
- Subsidiaries
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Bethesda Softworks
- Headquarters
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Hunt Valley, Maryland
