In the wake of Microsoft’s layoffs and studio closures last week, rumors circulated that Romero Games — the studio founded by Doom creator John Romero — had also shut down after funding for its still-untitled game was pulled. Those rumors are false, and the studio is still alive and kicking, even if it isn’t out of the woods yet.
Romero Games shared an update on its social media accounts late yesterday afternoon that the studio “is not closed, and [they] are doing everything in [their] power to ensure it does not come to that.” Perhaps more exciting is the possibility that the cancelled game still has a lifeline.
“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,” the message reads. The original publisher pulled funding last week, and Romero Games cannot publicly state who that publisher was due to confidentiality agreements. Considering funding vanished after Microsoft announced thousands of layoffs, you can make an educated guess.
John Romero added his own comment to the statement, saying “Tl;dr – This is a team and a game worth fighting for.”
While there is some small hope for the game to continue, the studio saw the loss of multiple members (as reported by various social media announcements) and now says it has to “reassess the entire staffing of our studio.” It is unclear what that means. In its original announcement, the studio said its members were “heartbroken that it’s come to this.” Some of team had worked together for more than 20 years.
Next to nothing is known about the game, but it comes from an impressive pedigree. The announcement that other studios are interested in potentially funding it is a flicker of good news — something much needed in an industry that has seen so many jobs lost and livelihoods disrupted.
