There have been reports that efforts to bring back the Perfect Dark series stalled after development at The Initiative was stopped earlier this year. However, there’s now a potential sign of hope. Jason Schreier from Bloomberg reports that Darrel Gallagher, who previously led The Initiative, has joined Take-Two Interactive.
Gallagher joined 2K as a senior vice president and studio head, alongside Brian Horton, a former developer from Perfect Dark at The Initiative. The two are forming a new studio under the 2K label. While their first project hasn’t been announced yet, Gallagher has confirmed his new role.
In a LinkedIn post, Gallagher announced they are joining 2K as Senior Vice President and Studio Head. They will be building a new studio and leading a significant, challenging project. Gallagher expressed their belief in the power of talented teams with a strong vision and shared their enthusiasm for working with the 2K team.
Horton recently shared on LinkedIn that he’s joined 2K as Vice President and Head of Creative. He’ll be working with Darrell Gallagher at a new studio within 2K.
Gallagher announced he was leaving The Initiative in September, shortly after news surfaced that their game, Perfect Dark, had been cancelled. He shared at the time that he was proud of his work with the team under the Xbox Game Studios label.
He acknowledged the project was ending earlier than planned, but emphasized the team’s dedication and success would have a lasting impact. He expressed his thanks to Xbox for the chance to work on it, to their partners for their help, and to the community for their support and faith in their vision.
I’m leaving with a strong sense of accomplishment and looking forward to the future – both my own and that of the incredible developers I had the pleasure of working with. I’m excited for what’s ahead and grateful for everything we achieved together.
Crystal Dynamics faced another round of layoffs, and although it didn’t seem related to Perfect Dark initially, later reports revealed these layoffs were caused by a deal falling apart. The plan involved Embracer Group acquiring the Perfect Dark rights from Xbox and then selling them to Take-Two Interactive, who would have financed the creation of a new game in the series.
Although Gallagher and Horton are starting a new studio with 2K, it’s currently unclear if they’re developing a new Perfect Dark game. A report from September offered details about the cancelled project, revealing it would have featured a seasonal format and the ability for players to slow down time.
I previously reported that Take-Two Interactive was in talks to acquire the struggling “Perfect Dark” project from Xbox, but that deal didn’t happen. Now, Take-Two has hired the lead figures behind “Perfect Dark” – studio head Darrell Gallagher and director Brian Horton – to establish a new development team within their 2K division.
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) 2025-12-08T21:51:37.009Z
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