Romero Games, the studio established by Doom co-creator John Romero and Brenda Romero, expressed profound disappointment after learning that funding for their upcoming project was abruptly withdrawn—reportedly due to Microsoft's recent cost-cutting measures—putting both the game and its development team in jeopardy.
Studio director Brenda Romero confirmed in a statement that their publishing and financial partner backed out of the project overnight, along with "several other undisclosed initiatives at other studios."
A former Romero Games employee revealed via social media that their departure was tied to "recent Xbox layoffs." IGN has reached out to Microsoft for clarification.
This development follows Microsoft's sweeping workforce reductions across Xbox studios, which led to cancellations of high-profile titles like Everwild and Perfect Dark, alongside other unannounced projects.
"This publisher-level strategic decision was beyond our influence," Romero explained. "We desperately wish there had been options to avert this situation."
Romero expressed surprise at the sudden withdrawal, noting the studio had "consistently met every deadline, earned critical acclaim, and cleared all internal benchmarks."
The studio is now "assessing next steps while prioritizing support for our team," urging industry partners with potential opportunities to "contact us immediately."
"This team represents the finest talent I've collaborated with," John Romero shared on social media. "Regrettably, our studio wasn't spared from these cuts."
Recent Romero Games releases include Sigil (2019), its 2023 sequel Sigil 2, and the 2020 mafia strategy title Empire of Sin.
Details about their latest project remain scarce, though it was confirmed as an Unreal Engine 5-powered first-person shooter. The studio had expanded development in 2022 after securing publisher backing.
"We're entering an exciting new era," Romero Games announced at the time. "Partnering with a major publisher to create John Romero's next groundbreaking FPS featuring an original IP."
