It was a tough loss for the anticipated Perfect Dark game as they lost their director. News is circulating that Dan Neuburger has quit California-based studio, The Initiative last month.
Well-known Xbox sleuth Klobrille uncovered the news on LinkedIn, which reveals Neuburger is currently looking for work. Neuburger is known for his work on the Tomb Raider series, which is currently helping develop Perfect Dark. A delay is inevitable as it's the second significant departure from the project. In early 2021, design director Drew Murray left the project and The Initiative to join his former employer Insomniac Games.
There's still a solid team behind the project with former Activision development boss Darrell Gallagher. Will Gallagher be able to hold down the fort as he continues to lose employees?
A recent story revealed by Forbes shows that The Initiative is down to 50 employees, and many wonder if it has the staffing to complete the project. VideoGamesChronicle was able to speak to current employees, and the situation has become a "pandemic," and game development is almost impossible and "painfully slow" added to crumbling company culture.
With all the drama, Gallagher released a statement to VGC:
“It’s no small task to build a studio and reinvent a beloved franchise. In creating The Initiative, we set out to leverage co-development partnerships to achieve our ambitions, and we’re really excited about all the progress we’re seeing with our relationship with Crystal Dynamics.
“In this journey, it’s not uncommon for there to be staffing changes, especially during a time of global upheaval over the last two years, and there’s plenty more work in front of us to deliver a fantastic Perfect Dark experience to our players.
“We wish all our former colleagues the very best, and I’m confident in the team we have in place, the new talent joining, and we can’t wait to share more with the fans.”