India, July 3 -- Microsoft has stopped development on two major Xbox game projects, Perfect Dark and Everwild, and is closing the studio behind Perfect Dark, The Initiative. This move is part of broader layoffs affecting about four percent of Microsoft's global workforce.

The decision was confirmed in a memo from Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios. According to the memo, the cancellation of Perfect Dark and Everwild led to the closure of The Initiative. Booty also mentioned that several other unannounced projects across Microsoft's gaming portfolio would be wound down, The Verge reported.

The Initiative was created by Xbox in 2018 with the goal of reviving the Perfect Dark series. The game was to be co-developed with Crystal Dynamics...