Romero Games has revealed it has been contacted by “several publishers” keen to pick up its unannounced canceled project that was reportedly being published by Microsoft.
After reports from former staff saying the “whole studio” had been let go after its funding had been pulled, Romero Games has now issued a fresh statement shedding further light on the situation, and acknowledged it had been forced to “reassess the entire staffing of our studio”.
For now, Romero Games insisted it currently remained operational, and that the studio was “not closed, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that it does not come to that.”
Last week, Microsoft made significant cuts to its gaming division. The gaming layoffs come as part of an eye-watering round of cuts across Microsoft that amount to 4% of all staff, or roughly 9,100 of employees, losing their jobs.
Within hours, Romero Games, the studio founded by Doom co-creator John Romero and Brenda Romero, said it had been left “heartbroken” after discovering that funding for its project had been lost.
While the studio itself has not confirmed its project was being published by Microsoft — something it has said it is unable to do due to confidentiality agreements — other staff members have separately named Microsoft as the company’s partner via posts on social media. And now, Romero Games has admitted that “some may infer [who the publisher was] from public information.”
“As as result, we now have to reassess the entire staffing of our studio,” the studio contniued. “Romero Games is not closed, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that it does not come to that. Any suggestion otherwise is factually incorrect.
“We’ve been contacted by several publishers interested in helping us bring the game across the finish line, and we’re currently evaluating those opportunities.”
Microsoft has made a huge number of cuts to its gaming business since acquiring Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. It laid off 1,900 staff in January 2024, then made further cuts just a few months later when it closed Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks. In September 2024, Microsoft cut a further 650 staff from its gaming business. And in May this year, Microsoft cut an eye-watering 6,000 staff, or 3% of its entire workforce. Last week’s round of layoffs is the fourth to hit Microsoft’s gaming business in 18 months.
Image credit: Tristan Fewings/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
