Perfect Dark (upcoming video game)

Perfect Dark
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Xbox Game Studios
SeriesPerfect Dark
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)
Genre(s)Action-adventure, first-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Perfect Dark is an upcoming first-person shooter video game developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics and published by Xbox Game Studios. Announced at The Game Awards in 2020, it is a reboot of the Perfect Dark series. It is set to be released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

Perfect Dark aims to revitalize the franchise with modern gameplay mechanics and a new narrative. Set in a near-future world grappling with environmental collapse, players will step into the role of agent Joanna Dark, navigating a world where mega-corporations conceal dangerous secrets amidst efforts to restore ecological balance. The game features stealth and high-tech gadgetry, set against the backdrop of a restored Cairo.

Perfect Dark marks the first project by The Initiative, a Microsoft studio founded in 2018 and led by Darrell Gallagher, who previously worked on the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot. Gallagher thought about a number of Microsoft-provided options before deciding to revive Perfect Dark. Significant personnel turnover and creative differences were among the problems experienced during the game production process, which was originally scheduled to utilize Unreal Engine 4. The Initiative joined forces with Crystal Dynamics in 2021 to support development, moving to Unreal Engine 5 to increase efficiency. The Coalition reportingly supports both studios with Unreal Engine expertise.