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| A screengrab from the Perfect Dark reboot |
"I'd done entire chapters of this universe," said voice actor Alix Wilton-Regan, who was "absolutely blindsided" when Microsoft pulled funding for the spy shooter.
Nearly six months after its abrupt cancellation, new details have emerged about the extent of the work completed on the ill-fated Perfect Dark reboot. In a revealing interview, Joanna Dark actor Alix Wilton-Regan confirmed the project was surprisingly far in development, with years of performance capture and entire narrative chapters finished before Microsoft's decision to shutter developer The Initiative.
The cancellation was part of wider, devastating layoffs at Microsoft Gaming in July 2025, which saw around 9,000 jobs eliminated and several studios closed. While the corporate reasoning focused on "strategic growth areas," the human and creative cost, as described by those directly involved, was immense.
Years of Work and "Entire Chapters" Recorded
According to Wilton-Regan, development was active and progressing. Work began in earnest in 2023, expanded significantly with performance capture throughout 2024, and was still ongoing in 2025 right up until the project was shelved.
"The Initiative had delivered several milestones that the client was really happy with," Wilton-Regan told The Gamer. From her perspective at the heart of the project, the game was taking substantial shape. "To my knowledge, we were pretty far along. I'd done entire chapters of this universe".
The game, a reboot of the classic Nintendo 64-era spy series, was being co-developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics. It was set in a near-future world suffering from environmental collapse, where players would step into the shoes of agent Joanna Dark to uncover corporate secrets. The gameplay aimed to blend first-person shooting with immersive sim elements, stealth, and parkour.
A Sudden, Devastating End
For Wilton-Regan and the development teams, the cancellation came without warning. She learned the news publicly, "at the same time as everybody else".
"I was as shocked, surprised, and devastated as everyone else was when the funding was pulled, and the studio was closed," she said. "I did not see it coming. I was absolutely blindsided".
Her devastation extended beyond her own role to the broader team. "It was devastating. So many people lost their jobs. An entire workforce was disbanded," she said. "There was an ecosystem of creativity and collaboration that was in place that we lost overnight. It was really difficult, really difficult for everybody".
You can read the full, original interview with Alix Wilton-Regan on TheGamer here.
A Secret, Last-Ditch Effort to Save the Game
Following the public cancellation, there was a behind-the-scenes scramble to resurrect the project. Leadership from The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics spent approximately two months seeking new funding and a publishing partner.
Wilton-Regan was aware of these efforts and remained quiet to avoid jeopardizing them. "I couldn't say too much about it because I knew The Initiative was in talks to keep Perfect Dark up and running in some shape or form," she revealed. "Possibly a slimmed-down version, possibly something slightly different. But certainly, everyone was working really hard behind the scenes to bring Perfect Dark back".
The most promising lead was Take-Two Interactive, but a potential deal ultimately collapsed. Reports, corroborated by IGN, indicate the talks fell apart due to disagreements over the long-term ownership of the Perfect Dark intellectual property. "And then one day, I heard from the creative director that the deal hadn't gone through, and that really everything had fallen apart, and production was fully stopping," Wilton-Regan said. "That was the day I was really sad because that was the day I lost hope".
The Ripple Effects and a Silver Lining
The collapse of the Perfect Dark reboot had immediate consequences. In addition to the closure of The Initiative, it led to further layoffs at Crystal Dynamics. The game's cancellation also left a notable gap in the market for a major, modern spy-action franchise, though this has begun to be filled by recent releases like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and the announcement of 007: First Light.
Some key talent from the project has found a new home. Earlier this month, it was announced that The Initiative's former studio head, Darrell Gallagher, and the game's director, Brian Horton, have been hired by Take-Two Interactive's 2K label to form a brand new studio.
For Alix Wilton-Regan, a major silver lining emerged from a parallel project. At the same time she was voicing Joanna Dark, she had also been cast as Lara Croft in two upcoming Tomb Raider games: Legacy of Atlantis (2026) and Catalyst (2027).
"The saving grace for me when Perfect Dark fell apart was that I'd already been shooting Lara for about a year as well," she shared. Playing both iconic heroines was "genuinely one of the most creatively exciting times of my life." Yet, the experience has left a mark. "I just felt so relieved that I still had Lara, but I also felt really frightened about losing Lara," she admitted. "I'm still frightened of losing Lara".
While players will likely never see the Joanna Dark that Wilton-Regan and the teams brought to life, her comments provide a poignant look at the very human cost behind high-profile game cancellations and the fragile nature of game development, where years of passionate work can dissolve overnight.
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