Matt Firor left ZeniMax Online Studios in July 2025 after nearly 20 years of work, where he led The Elder Scrolls Online project. At the time, he did not explain the reasons for his departure, but now he stated that he could not accept Microsoft's actions.
In the summer of 2025, the company cut more than 9,000 employees, closed studios, and canceled projects. Despite the high-profile closures of Perfect Dark and Everwild, the disruption of Project Blackbird became unacceptable for Firor.
On LinkedIn, he wrote:
Project Blackbird was the game I had been waiting for my entire career, and its cancellation led to my departure.
Firor thanked his colleagues and expressed regret over the layoffs, emphasizing that he is not yet involved in projects of former ZeniMax employees. He is currently providing informal support to new teams, sharing his experience, and considering his future, which does not yet include opening his own studio.
