New reports indicate that, despiteRomero Gameslosing its funding and shutting down due to Microsoft’s layoffs, there may still be some hope that the company’s unannounced FPS will be released eventually. Started byDoomco-creator John Romero and his wife, Brenda Romero, in 2015, Romero Games was reportedly working on a first-person shooter game when publisher Microsoft defunded it.
Last week,Microsoft laid off a significant portion of its workforce, reportedly affecting around 9,000 employees. Among the sectors impacted by the layoffs was the gaming division, with even people from studios that develop the popularCall of Dutyseries, like Raven Software and High Moon, losing some staff members. Projects which have been in development for years, such as Rare’sEverwild, ZeniMax Online Studios’ projectBlackbird, and The Initiative’sPerfect Dark,were canceled, too, and studios such asForza Motorsport’s Turn 10 Studios lost around half of their staff.
One of the most surprising cuts was at Romero Games, which was reported to be developing a yet unannounced FPS. According to reports,Romero Games was closed downafter being defunded, and its 100 employees were laid off, despite receiving “high praise” and “hitting every milestone” during the game’s development. The project does not seem to be entirely lost, though, as one LinkedIn post (spotted byRock Paper Shotgun) made by Romero Games' Chief Technical Officer, Keith O’Conor, mentioned that the team is exploring new ways to continue development, and that the game “already had significant interest." However, the team is more focused on “making sure its people are taken care of” first.
There May Still Be Hope for Romero Games' Unannounced FPS
Unfortunately, it’s still too early to tellwhat this means for Romero Games’ unannounced FPS. Unlike other studios shut down by Microsoft, Romero Games was not owned by the tech giant, and neither seems to be the IP of the unnamed project, as Microsoft worked as the publisher, funding the game. In any case, time will tell whether Romero Games will be able to find a new publisher for its exciting project.
Many gamers have begun speculating what the upcoming game will bring to the table. John Romero is known for some very popular games, with the most well-known belonging to theDoomfranchise.Romero also worked on other 90s classics, such asHexen,Wolfenstein 3D, andQuake, and is a beloved developer in the FPS genre. More recently, Romero Games released two Doom Megawads,Sigil 1and2, in 2019 and 2023, respectively, as well as the strategy RPGEmpire of Sin, which had Brenda Romero as lead designer.
