John Romero’s next project isn’t dead, but Microsoft’s funding withdrawal forced it into a completely new direction. The original concept has been scrapped, replaced by a much smaller, more experimental indie idea. Despite the downsizing, Romero says the redesigned game introduces mechanics and experiences even he has never seen before.
Microsoft’s recent layoffs shook the industry, leading to the cancellation of Everwild, the halt of the MMO from the developers of The Elder Scrolls Online and Perfect Dark, the closure of The Initiative, and hundreds of Xbox employees losing their jobs. The impact stretched beyond internal studios and reached John Romero, creator of DOOM. Reports suggest Microsoft had been financially backing Romero’s new game, but the partnership ended abruptly, leaving the project without funding. Still, after months of searching for new investors, Romero Games managed to keep the title alive – though only by radically reshaping it.
Romero explained the situation in an interview at the Madrid Video Game Fair, available on Andrés De Pedro Álvarez’s YouTube channel. He confirmed the mysterious game is still in development but admitted that the project has undergone a sweeping transformation. “It has basically been completely redesigned,” he said, noting that the new version bears little resemblance to the original vision.
“We’re not starting from scratch,” Romero emphasized. “We can take pieces of the previous project and build them into a new indie game. There’s a lot we can still use. The design is completely different, but the team is really excited about it.” While he cannot yet reveal the specifics, Romero describes the new title as “much smaller” yet innovative enough to surprise players, adding: “I’ve never played anything like it, and the things you’ll do in the game will feel new, just like experiencing Elden Ring for the first time.”
What little is known about the enigmatic project suggests it is a shooter set in a bizarre, highly explorable world. According to Romero, the team aimed to create a setting where every path invites curiosity – “You enter a new world, explore every route, and constantly ask yourself: ‘What is that?’” More details will be shared over time as Romero Games continues work on the project that managed to escape cancellation.
Source: 3djuegos
