Games like Avowed, Keeper, Kiln, South of Midnight, Hellblade 2, Forza Motorsport (not Horizon), and The Outer Worlds 2 didn't come within range of expectations set by Microsoft's spreadsheets, I'm told — either in terms of raw sales on external platforms or via Xbox Game Pass engagement and retention data. Other canceled projects like Perfect Dark, Everwild, and ZeniMax's "Blackbird" also represented huge amounts of investment that ultimately went nowhere. Inertia at The Initiative, in particular, was a huge drag on Xbox's profitability margins, and disruption at Undead Labs was also notable following the departure of founder Jeff Strain — although the latter is on track now, and State of Decay 3 is looking incredibly promising.