The legacy of Perfect Dark is so obvious that I almost shouldn’t write it. It was originally released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 and alongside a Game Boy Color counterpart. Xbox acquired Rare, its studio, two years later in 2002, going on to produce Perfect Dark Zero in 2005 and a remaster in 2010. The IP was dead for ten years before a Perfect Dark reboot was announced in 2020, being led by a new studio called The Initiative.
However, as part of Microsoft’s mass layoffs on July 2, The Initiative was shuttered and the Perfect Dark reboot was canceled. It’s worth pointing out that Perfect Dark is part of Rare’s legacy, which also saw its in-development Everwild game canceled. It was a dark day for many across the company, and while it’s impossible to know what happened behind closed doors, the fact is Perfect Dark meant a lot to a lot of folks.
How much it meant to people is perhaps best summarized by actor Alix Wilton Regan’s words, who was dubbed to play Joanna Dark in Perfect Dark, before and after this announcement.
The Development of Perfect Dark
First, it’s worth looking at what was known prior to this cancellation. The Initiative was formed in 2018 and, at some point, decided to pursue the reboot of Perfect Dark. Since then, however, there have been reports of significant departures, hiring practices, and creative differences regarding funding and managing the project. Originally, Perfect Dark was worked on for Unreal Engine 4 but moved to Unreal Engine 5. The Coalition and Crystal Dynamics were lending assistance to The Initiative in these endeavours. Fans finally saw an impressive presentation of it last year, but now, there are reports that its sizzle reel at 2024’s Xbox Games Showcase was “basically fake.”
Although not necessarily uncommon, it’s often not a good sign when a game is being shown off, and it seems too good to be true. Oftentimes it is. The reality is that many hoped The Initiative got Perfect Dark on track, and perhaps it did. There’s no telling now as the truth of these stories and cancellations are likely locked away, but pre- and post-cancellation, Joanna Dark herself had something to say on the matter.
Joanna Dark on Perfect Dark
In June 2024, Xbox and The Initiative announced that actor Alex Wilton Regan (Dragon Age, AC Origins) would play Joanna Dark. Game Rant spoke with Wilton Regan earlier this year, back in April around the BAFTA Awards. At the time, there was no indication of these forthcoming layoffs and closures. Wilton Regan understandably could not say much about Perfect Dark, but she did cite it as part of her being incredibly lucky over the past year.
Before Cancellation
When Wilton Regan reflected on the past year of her career, especially as actors rally to be seen and heard as actors and strike for AI protections, she talked about being lucky. She’s been working on Joanna Dark in this time, worked as an executive producer on Tales of Kenzera: Zau, and would have recorded the last pieces for The Inquisitor in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. She’s had consistent work, which despite her caliber, is not a guarantee in this industry. Joanna Dark clearly meant a lot to her, as it was the first mention among these special roles to her, and she would go on to say what she could regarding the role:
“I can tell you that it was a thrilling phone call to receive. It was a wonderful offer that a girl like me just can’t say no to. ‘Would you love to step into this iconic British role, you know, this powerhouse of a female video game character?’ I was like, “Yeah, of course I would. Absolutely brilliant.” I can’t really say much more than that apart from, you know, I think it’s quite well documented that production’s ongoing, and it’s the thrill of a lifetime. It’s absolutely brilliant.”
Unfortunately for Wilton Regan and Perfect Dark fans, that luck did not hold. It’s hard to ignore how excited she was to step into an “iconic British role” and a “powerhouse of a female video game character,” all for that rug to be pulled from her.
After Cancellation
Shortly after the news about Perfect Dark and The Initiative broke, Wilton Regan posted on Twitter: “Joanna is resilient. Determined. Creative. Caring. Strong. Agent Dark doesn’t give up & neither should any of you. It’s been an honour to work with the talents at The Initiative. My heart hurts for everyone affected by today. But like Joanna, we will all rise again.”
A lot of fine game devs were impacted by the layoffs, with Wilton Regan pointing to the human cost of the cancellation. Wilton Regan lost a “thrill of a lifetime” and calls attention to the devs, but she lost something too. All Perfect Dark fans did; it’s not just about a game being canceled. It’s about humans losing jobs, actors losing dreams, and fans losing faith that characters like Joanna Dark will be there for them. If the companies involved aren’t for the character, then the character cannot be for fans.
From hopeful to heartbroken, Wilton Regan’s words reflect the devs and fans who were emotionally invested in Perfect Dark‘s success.