Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFormer ZeniMax Online developers announced Sackbird Studios, an independent studio based in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 8, 2025. The team later revealed Hijinks High as its debut game: a multiplayer party game about schoolyard mischief. Its official press kit currently lists PC releases through Steam and the Epic Games Store, with a release date marked TBA.
What studio did former Elder Scrolls Online developers start?
The studio is Sackbird Studios. In its October 8, 2025 launch announcement, the company said it was founded the previous month in Baltimore, Maryland. Sackbird described its founding team as former leads and key contributors from The Elder Scrolls Online and core developers from Project Blackbird, a game that had been cancelled before Sackbird was formed. The studio said it had fewer than ten developers at founding.
Sackbird characterized itself as independent, employee-owned and self-funded for multiple years, with no outside investors. Those are the studio’s own descriptions, rather than independently audited details. Its stated aim was to build a smaller company with more creative independence. COO David Worley said, “After years in AAA, we wanted the freedom to take smart risks without waiting for a greenlight or chasing quarterly targets.”
CEO Lee Ridout connected that ambition to Blackbird’s cancellation: “When I learned that Blackbird was being cancelled and a lot of people were losing their jobs, it lit a fire. We realized the best way to protect our craft—and our team—was to create a studio where creative independence isn’t negotiable.” Sackbird also said its founders were grateful for their time at ZeniMax Online. The company has not said that Sackbird acquired Blackbird’s intellectual property or is continuing that project.
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- The Fight for Tamriel Begins: Three alliances vie for control of the Empire. As these powers battle for supremacy, darker forces move to destroy the world.
- Play the Way You Like: Battle, craft, fish, steal, siege, or explore. The choice is yours to make in a persistent Elder Scrolls world.
- A Multiplayer RPG: Adventure alone, quest with friends, or join an army of hundreds in epic PVP battles.
- Tell Your Own Story: Discover the secrets of Tamriel as you quest to regain your lost soul and save the world from Oblivion.
What is Sackbird Studios making?
On June 4, 2026, Sackbird announced Hijinks High as its debut title. The studio describes it as a multiplayer roguelike party game centered on a chaotic school day. Players use school objects and props to pull pranks, manage energy and other bodily needs, and try to make it to the bus before the day ends. These details are the studio’s description of the game, not findings from an independent review.
The reveal announcement presented the game as in development for PC and consoles. The current official press kit specifies PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store and lists release timing as TBA; it does not provide a console release date or schedule.
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Current details listed in the press kit
- Players: One to six, in online co-op or party play; the press kit says there is no PvP.
- Session length: Approximately 40–60 minutes for one school day.
- Platforms and storefronts: PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store; the earlier reveal also announced console development.
- Release timing: TBA.
- Engine and languages: Unreal Engine 5; English and German.
The player count and session estimate are Sackbird-published figures, not independently measured results. The press kit also says the game was playable hands-on at gamescom 2026, but that does not establish a general release date.
Is Hijinks High coming to consoles, and when does it come out?
Sackbird’s June 2026 reveal said consoles were in development, so console versions have been announced. The current press kit lists PC storefronts but does not give further console details. No release date is established: the press kit says TBA.
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- Unlimited Adventures, No Subscription Required
- The Fight for Tamriel Begins: Three alliances vie for control of the Empire. As these powers battle for supremacy, darker forces move to destroy the world.
- Play the Way You Like: Battle, craft, fish, steal, siege, or explore. The choice is yours to make in a persistent Elder Scrolls world.
- A Multiplayer RPG: Adventure alone, quest with friends, or join an army of hundreds in epic PVP battles.
- Tell Your Own Story: Discover the secrets of Tamriel as you quest to regain your lost soul and save the world from Oblivion.
What accessibility features are listed?
Sackbird’s press kit separates features it identifies as present in the gamescom 2026 build from accessibility commitments that are not yet built and have no announced dates. Features it lists as currently in the build include captions with a large-caption option, a reduce-flashes setting, third-person default view with first person available, no motion blur or head-bob, and no quick-time events. Items appearing only in the separate commitments list should not be treated as available features.
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