On July 3rd, Romero Games shared some though news via X. Their unnamed publisher has pulled funding, forcing the cancellation of their in-development AAA FPS and multiple unannounced titles. The move comes in the wake of Microsoft’s sweeping layoffs and studio closures.
Who Are Romero Games?
Founded in 2015, Romero Games is helmed by the legendary FPS designer John Romero and award-winning developer Brenda Romero.
The studio is best known for SIGIL, Empire of Sin, and the long-vanished Blackroom.
In 2022, they announced they were working on a brand-new AAA first-person shooter using Unreal Engine 5, but now, that project is officially shelved.
The cancellation arrives shortly after Microsoft shut down divisions like The Initiative and axed projects including Perfect Dark and Everwild.
Romero Games stated the funding cut also means reassessing their entire studio structure, with an undisclosed number of layoffs already made.
There May Be Hope Yet!
On July 7th, the studio followed up to clarify: Romero Games is not shitting down. Despite the cuts, they confirmed the studio remains operational, and that other publishers have already reached out, interested in picking up the now-stalled FPS project.
What’s Next?
While no deals are confirmed, the door is open. Here’s hoping some of the let-go devs find their way back if the projects gets revived.
If you’re interested in more news, check out our Other Games section!