Former ZeniMax Online founder and Elder Scrolls Online director Matt Firor continues to play the hit MMO daily, remaining active in guilds where his identity as the game’s creator remains completely unknown, following his 2025 resignation sparked by Microsoft’s cancellation of his dream project, “Project Blackbird.”
Life After the Studio: Playing for Fun, Not Bugs
After taking a brief mental health hiatus following his departure, Firor returned to Tamriel, but with a drastically shifted perspective. In a recent interview with MinnMax, he explained that the experience is finally “freeing.” Without the internal pressure to report bugs or manage development hurdles, he can simply enjoy the game as an ordinary player.
“I’m in guilds, and they don’t know who I am. So I just play and it’s a lot of fun,” Firor shared. “I’m having the best time since probably 2017 or 2018 in the game right now.”
The Irony of Loving His Own Creation
Firor openly acknowledges the irony of naming Elder Scrolls Online as one of his top five favorite games, even after stepping away from the studio. He recounted a previous podcast appearance where he felt the need to apologize for choosing his own work, calling it a “loser move.” However, he maintains that the game is genuinely excellent, noting that the years he spent building it have left him with a deep, lasting appreciation for its design.
Watching the Legacy Evolve
Despite his exit, Firor still maintains occasional contact with the development team. Because of the long-term nature of MMO production—where content cycles often span 12 to 16 months—he is still seeing the release of features he helped plan. He remains impressed by the team’s work, noting that the subtle changes they have implemented are “fantastic and really smart.”
A Career Defined by ESO
Firor’s bond with the title is rooted in nearly two decades of history. Having founded ZeniMax Online in 2007, he spent 18 years shepherding Elder Scrolls Online from its rocky initial launch to its current status as a titan of the genre. This legacy remains his primary professional achievement, even as he navigates the professional fallout of the cancellation of “Project Blackbird,” which he previously described as the game he had waited his entire career to create.
Leave a Reply