The ongoing wave of layoffs at Xbox has claimed another high-profile casualty: this time, it’s Romero Games, the studio founded by legendary DOOM co-creator John Romero. The team’s upcoming first-person shooter, developed in Unreal Engine 5, has officially lost its funding, and the studio’s future now hangs in the balance.
According to a statement from Brenda Romero, the decision came from “high-level executives at the publisher,” and was entirely out of the studio’s control. While the publisher wasn’t named directly, multiple former employees have confirmed via social media that the game was being funded by Microsoft.
“We hit every milestone”: Romero Games blindsided
Romero Games emphasized that the project was progressing smoothly. The team had met every internal deadline, received consistent praise, and passed all quality checks. “This absolutely isn’t a reflection of our team’s work, performance, or the quality of the project itself,” Brenda Romero wrote.
Despite that, the entire project was abruptly canceled. Several developers—including artists, producers, and designers—have confirmed they were laid off as part of the fallout. Some even stated that the entire studio has been let go.
Microsoft’s cuts ripple across the industry
Romero Games is just one of many studios affected by Microsoft’s recent layoffs, which have impacted over 9,000 employees across Xbox Game Studios. Other casualties include:
- The cancellation of Perfect Dark and the closure of The Initiative
- The shelving of Rare’s Everwild
- The shutdown of Project Blackbird, an MMO from ZeniMax Online
- The departure of industry veterans like Matt Firor (ZeniMax) and Gregg Mayles (Rare)
These cuts have sparked widespread concern about the stability of Xbox’s publishing arm and its long-term commitment to third-party studios.
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The studio, which previously released Empire of Sin and the Sigil expansions for DOOM, is now “evaluating next steps” and working to support its team of over 75 developers. Whether the studio can survive this blow remains uncertain.
“These people are the best I’ve ever worked with,” John Romero wrote. “I’m sorry to say that our game and our studio were also affected.”
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