John Romero’s Scrapped Xbox Shooter Finds New Publisher, Studio Rehires Key Staff
In a nutshell
- John Romero has confirmed that the previously canceled Xbox-backed shooter project has secured a new publisher.
- Romero Games has rehired around 10 former staff members and restructured the project for a much smaller development team.
- The original 110-person shooter has been completely redesigned into a new game that reuses assets, technology, and ideas from the canceled project.
Doom and Quake co-creator John Romero has revealed that the shooter project abandoned following Microsoft’s funding cuts earlier this year has found a new publishing partner, giving Romero Games a second chance at bringing its vision to life.
The announcement comes months after Romero Games confirmed it had lost funding for its unannounced first-person shooter when Microsoft pulled its publishing agreement amid widespread layoffs and restructuring efforts across the company. The loss of funding resulted in significant staff reductions, casting doubt on the future of both the project and the studio.
A New Publisher Has Stepped In
Speaking to VGC during Gamescom Asia, John Romero confirmed that a new publishing deal is now in place, although he stopped short of revealing the publisher’s identity or when an official announcement can be expected.
According to Romero, the studio spent considerable time searching for ways to continue development after losing its original funding. Unable to maintain its full workforce indefinitely, the company eventually downsized dramatically, shrinking from around 110 employees to just five core team members.
Despite the setback, Romero noted that the studio retained ownership of all the project’s intellectual property, artwork, code, and assets, allowing the team to explore alternative paths forward.
Romero Games Rehires Former Team Members
Following the new publishing agreement, Romero Games has brought back around 10 former employees, primarily leads from various development departments. This puts the current team size at roughly 15 to 16 people.
Rather than attempting to complete the original large-scale shooter, John Romero explained that the team chose to completely redesign the project around its new size. The result is effectively a new game that leverages existing art, technology, weapons, characters, and shooter systems developed for the previous title.
Romero said the smaller-scale project is progressing well and that the team is “super happy” with its direction. While it remains a shooter, he teased that many of its surrounding concepts and mechanics are entirely new.
Smaller Teams, Bigger Creative Freedom
The veteran developer also expressed enthusiasm for working with a leaner team, noting that smaller groups allow for faster decision-making and greater hands-on involvement in development. Rather than spending most of his time in meetings, Romero says he is now directly involved in game design, level creation, and daily development work.
Perhaps most notably, John Romero praised the new publishing arrangement for offering complete creative freedom. According to him, the new publisher has no creative mandates for the project and is allowing the studio to pursue its own vision without interference, something he described as the “perfect deal.”
While details about the game remain under wraps, John Romero’s comments suggest that the studio has successfully weathered one of the most challenging periods in its history and is once again moving forward with a new shooter project.
