Romero Games, founded by industry veterans John Romero (Doom co-creator) and Brenda Romero, has expressed profound disappointment after losing funding for their upcoming title – reportedly casualties of Microsoft's recent restructuring, placing both the project and team in jeopardy.
Studio Director Brenda Romero confirmed in an official statement that their publishing partner withdrew financial support overnight, abandoning this project alongside "several other unannounced initiatives across partner studios."
A since-departed Romero Games employee revealed on social media that their position was eliminated "following Xbox's workforce reductions." IGN has reached out to Microsoft for clarification.
This development follows Microsoft's sweeping layoffs across Xbox studios, which terminated projects like Everwild and Perfect Dark plus undisclosed titles under Microsoft funding.
"This publisher-level strategic call exceeded our influence," Romero emphasized. "We're devastated nothing could reverse this situation."
Romero noted the abruptness of this decision, highlighting the team's consistent delivery: "We met every deadline, earned stellar evaluations, and cleared all development benchmarks."
The studio is now "assessing options while prioritizing team support," urging industry contacts with potential opportunities to connect immediately.
"This team represents my career peak," John Romero shared publicly. "I regret confirming our project and studio were impacted."
The developer's portfolio includes Sigil (2019), Sigil 2 (2023), and mafia strategy title Empire of Sin (2020).
Details about their recent Unreal Engine 5 FPS remained scarce since their 2022 expansion announcement, when securing funding prompted enthusiasm: "This marks Romero Games' renaissance. We're collaborating with a leading publisher on John's next-gen shooter – an original FPS IP."
