Footage of ESO dev's canceled cyberpunk MMO has leaked online, and it's got serious Ghostrunner and Mirror's Edge vibes

When you think of MMOs, your mind immediately wanders towards high fantasy. World of Warcraft. Final Fantasy 14 (clue’s in the name there). Guild Wars 2. There’s something about fantastical worlds that makes them perfect for massive online videogames. But I’m sick of seeing thick brick dungeons and high-flying dragons. While I never really jelled with Destiny, I’ve always wondered what a true sci-fi MMO could look like. Imagine a dingy Night City-esque universe with its suburbs and underground tunnels. That’s what Project Blackbird, an ambitious creation from Elder Scrolls Online developer Zenimax, was meant to be.

Canceled as part of Microsoft’s infamous July 2025 layoffs, Project Blackbird had been in the works for over seven years, and was supposedly a massive, sci-fi noir-style shooter with Blade Runner’s aesthetics and a heavy focus on verticality. Now, however, we’ve seen what the Elder Scrolls Online dev had in mind, as footage of what is claimed to be Project Blackbird has surfaced online via Spanish leaker, ‘eXtas1stv.’

The scene is immediately reminiscent of the likes of the aforementioned Blade Runner, but also One More Level’s Ghostrunner. The metallic streets are rain soaked and grimy, illuminated with glowing green and blue neon lights. We pan through what appears to be a night market, and down streets filled with robotic denizens. It’s a little more sci-fi than Night City, but it’s still got that gritty, grungy feel.

There’s footage of what appear to be high-speed trains rolling along on rails (monorails? ha ha) and huge freight depots, all of which feel perfectly primed for a movement-centric experience. I can absolutely imagine jumping from building to building, or car to car, channeling my inner Faith from Mirror’s Edge, or Jack from Ghostrunner. That, in itself, makes me even sadder that we’ll never be able to play it.

👀🔥 LEAK ⚡️

Nuevo metraje de “Project Blackbird”, el MMO de Zenimax Online cancelado hace meses por Xbox.

Qué ganas le tenía 🥺. pic.twitter.com/4Nz1G22l2F

– eXtas1s 🎮 Noticias & Rumores (@eXtas1stv) January 18, 2026

Now this is a leak, although Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson claims he can “indepently [sic] verify the footage is real” in a Sunday, January 18 tweet. If the video is indeed legit, it feels like we’ve lost a real gem.

While I love the high-octane movement of Ghostrunner and Mirror’s Edge, the experience feels somewhat railroaded given that both games are mission-based. I’ve imagined darting about Dharma City on my own, exploring its alleyways and slurping ramen at a steamy night market stall as the rain beats down. Project Blackbird looks like it could have been that game, but it simply wasn’t to be.

As Zenimax enters a new era of The Elder Scrolls Online, we chatted to the team about unlocking older content and the revamped seasonal model. While we’ll never get to stomp Blackbird’s streets, at least ESO keeps getting bigger and better.