Even the newest project from John Romero, the father of Doom, hasn’t escaped Microsoft’s sweeping cuts, and now his studio hangs in limbo. Microsoft has pulled funding from the next title at Romero Games, founded by John and Brenda Romero.

The shockwaves from Microsoft’s recent moves are still reverberating through the games industry: more than 9,000 employees have been let go, including many at Xbox, while high-profile titles like Perfect Dark and Örök Vadon (“Everwild”) have been cancelled. The latest blow? Microsoft has also withdrawn funding from the new game in development at Romero Games—the studio led by John Romero, the legendary creator of Doom, and Brenda Romero. The result: the team finds itself in a precarious state and is scrambling to figure out what’s next to support their staff.

Romero Games shared the update in a post on X (formerly Twitter), outlining how the publisher’s sudden decision changed everything: “Last night, we learned that our publisher has canceled funding for our game, along with several other unannounced projects at other studios. This was a strategic decision made at the highest levels of the publisher, far beyond our visibility or control,” wrote Brenda Romero. “We deeply wish there was something, anything, we could have done to prevent this outcome.”

“This is in no way a reflection on the work, the performance of our team, or the quality of the project itself,” she continued. “We hit every milestone on time, every time, consistently received high praise, and easily cleared all of our internal barriers. We’re incredibly proud of the work done and the talented team behind it. The best we’ve ever worked with.”

“We are currently evaluating next steps and working quickly to support the team. Many of us have worked together for over a decade, some for over 20 years. This is an extremely difficult day, and we are heartbroken that it has ended this way.” Romero Games will now weigh its options for survival and is appealing to the community for any “opportunities or ways to help our amazing team.”

Romero Games’ statement never directly mentions Microsoft, but the timing aligns with the recent waves of layoffs. Artist Christoph Redl confirmed, “Unfortunately, due to the recent layoffs at Xbox, I have lost my job at Romero Games,” via X. John Romero added his thoughts as well: “These are the best people I’ve ever worked with and I’m sorry to say that our game and our studio have also been affected.”

A Massive Wave of Layoffs at Xbox

As noted at the top, Microsoft’s latest cuts aren’t just about cancelling projects or pulling funding—they’ve also triggered a major round of layoffs across the company. Details have trickled out, but we know the decision has hit the Call of Duty teams, Forza Motorsport staff (almost 50% of the workforce laid off), King Barcelona (200 employees), and several ZeniMax Online Studios offices as well.

Source: 3djuegos