New PC Game Hijinks High From Laid-Off Xbox Developers Challenges You To Become A High School Menace
Overview & Key Takeaways
Sackbird Studios, the independent studio founded by a number of developers who were at ZeniMax Online Studios before Microsoft canceled their new game and laid them off, has announced a new project called Hijinks High.
It's an online co-op game where players team up with up to five others to "cause as much ruckus as possible" during a day of high school. The aim is to become "the school's menace."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL4IsR-aNb4
Players can take part in randomized missions where they are called to take smelly dumps in the bathroom and set booby traps. Players can also take on "dares," which can result in bodily injury that requires a trip to the hospital.
Hijinks High also has players needing to manage their bodily needs, and that includes going pee, managing concussions, and dealing with stomachaches. "Stack illnesses and make huge parts of the school uninhabitable, or manage your resources wisely to avoid that warm, sticky feeling," reads a line from the game's description.
Hijinks High is available to wishlist now on Steam and the Epic Games Store, but the game does not have a release date or pricing information yet.
When Sackbird was announced in October 2025, the developer said it was self-funded “for multiple years” without the aid of outside investors.
“After years in AAA, we wanted the freedom to take smart risks without waiting for a greenlight or chasing quarterly targets, said Sackbird Studios chief creative officer David Worley in a statement. “We’re fully employee-owned and funded, which means we only answer to people who are passionate about games.”
The studio said it wanted to make “bold, character-driven experiences free from corporate compromises.”
The developers were previously at the Microsoft/Xbox-owned ZeniMax Online Studios working on Project Blackbird, an MMO that was described as a cross between Cyberpunk 2077 and Destiny. Microsoft canceled the game in 2025 amid a wave of major cuts.
ZeniMax Online Studios boss Matt Firor quit after Project Blackbird was canceled. He said it was the game he had been waiting his entire career to make.
Sackbird Studios, the independent studio founded by a number of developers who were at ZeniMax Online Studios before Microsoft canceled their new game and laid them off, has announced a new project called Hijinks High.
It’s an online co-op game where players team up with up to five others to “cause as much ruckus as possible” during a day of high school. The aim is to become “the school’s menace.”
VIDEO
Players can take part in randomized missions where they are called to take smelly dumps in the bathroom and set booby traps. Players can also take on “dares,” which can result in bodily injury that requires a trip to the hospital.
Hijinks High also has players needing to manage their bodily needs, and that includes going pee, managing concussions, and dealing with stomachaches. “Stack illnesses and make huge parts of the school uninhabitable, or manage your resources wisely to avoid that warm, sticky feeling,” reads a line from the game’s description.
Hijinks High is available to wishlist now on Steam and the Epic Games Store, but the game does not have a release date or pricing information yet.
When Sackbird was announced in October 2025, the developer said it was self-funded “for multiple years” without the aid of outside investors.
“After years in AAA, we wanted the freedom to take smart risks without waiting for a greenlight or chasing quarterly targets, said Sackbird Studios chief creative officer David Worley in a statement. “We’re fully employee-owned and funded, which means we only answer to people who are passionate about games.”
The studio said it wanted to make “bold, character-driven experiences free from corporate compromises.”
The developers were previously at the Microsoft/Xbox-owned ZeniMax Online Studios working on Project Blackbird, an MMO that was described as a cross between Cyberpunk 2077 and Destiny. Microsoft canceled the game in 2025 amid a wave of major cuts.
ZeniMax Online Studios boss Matt Firor quit after Project Blackbird was canceled. He said it was the game he had been waiting his entire career to make.
