As reported by TheJournal.ie (by way of VGC), Doom designer John Romero and Wizardry 8 developer Brenda Romero’s studio, Romero Video games, has absolutely closed following the withdrawal of writer funding for its in-development FPS. Former staff have acknowledged that the writer in query was Microsoft, making Romero Video games one other casualty of the tech large’s most up-to-date spherical of cuts and mass layoffs.
We beforehand reported on Romero Video games’ assertion on the lack of funding, however TheJournal.ie confirmed the closure and shed extra mild on the circumstances surrounding it. A former worker informed TheJournal.ie that Romero Video games “had conferences with the writer the day earlier than this occurred, there was no point out of it.”
Although there have been considerations on the studio given Microsoft’s latest streak of layoffs and studio closures, “It appeared so distant from us,” the worker stated. “The title was fairly effectively developed on the time.” Information present that Romero Video games instantly employed 42 individuals, however TheJournal.ie reported that exterior employees engaged on the unnamed FPS mission introduced the overall variety of these affected to over 100.
We weren’t eager on Romero Video games’ first standalone mission, 2020’s Empire of Sin. On-line Editor Fraser Brown felt it had thrilling potential and ambitions, however that it failed to stay the touchdown, awarding it a 49% in his assessment. Empire of Sin did, nevertheless, get a shock growth simply final month from developer Moonmana.
Much less fraught had been unofficial Doom expansions Sigil and Sigil 2, launched by Romero Video games in 2018 and 2023 respectively. The megawads have confirmed a profitable addition to the Doom canon, with each included in Nightdive’s remaster of the unique Doom. If Romero Video games’ in-development FPS may have maintained Sigil’s design excellence in a full-on triple-A FPS, then we missed out on a contemporary traditional within the making.
Romero Video games appeared to have been gearing up for an announcement earlier than this calamity, rising its output on social media. Essentially the most thrilling a part of this was an “FPS Fridays” collection on Twitch that includes Romero testing different FPSes, together with New Blood’s Nightfall.
It appears like there’s nonetheless a faint sliver of hope for Romero Video games. “We’re looking for different methods of funding the mission,” the worker interviewed by TheJournal.ie stated. “However for now, it is utterly closed, and the studio is closed.” A shock keep of execution would not be with out precedent: Tango Gameworks was revived by Krafton after Microsoft shut the studio down final yr.