Back in 2022, John Romero of Doom fame announced he was working on a new first-person shooter IP in Unreal Engine 5 for a “major publisher.” Three years later, the studio says it’s canceled and employees claim the latest wave of massive cuts at Xbox are to blame, with one designer calling the news “[a] massive, sudden & unexpected hit on a Project that was innovative, going strong and most importantly fun.”
Romero Games studio director Brenda Romero wrote in a statement that the team found out Wednesday night about the loss of funding, blaming a “strategic decision made at a high level.” She said the team is currently “evaluating next steps” as it tries to take care of staff, some of whom have worked together for over 20 years.
While Xbox was not mentioned by name, some employees took to social media to say they’d been laid off as part of the ongoing cuts which have led to layoffs across Microsoft’s gaming division, including the cancelation of Everwild, Perfect Dark, and several unannounced projects. “These people are the best people I’ve ever worked with, and I’m sorry to say that our game and our studio were also affected,” John Romero wrote on X.
Sebastian Bica, lead level designer on the untitled FPS, wrote on LinkedIn, “It’s a massive, sudden & unexpected hit on a Project that was innovative, going strong and most importantly fun. The past 2+ years have been amazing, working with everybody on it was an absolute blast and I will forever keep close all of the moments and memories we’ve shared! It’s all a shame we won’t be able to see it through!”
It’s unclear if Romero Games will survive the cancelation. It was previously best known for the strategy RPG Empire of Sin and for the unofficial new Doom episodes Sigil 1 and 2.
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