John Romero's Canceled Xbox Shooter Secures New Publisher and Rescopes Development

John Romero's shooter is back from the dead, just a lot smaller. The Doom co-creator told VGC at Gamescom Asia that Romero Games has signed a new publisher for the unannounced project Microsoft stopped funding, and has brought 10 laid-off developers back to work on a redesigned version.

"We were 110 people, going down to five," Romero said. The 10 returning staff were the leads of the studio's sub-teams, putting the team at around 15 to 16 people.

The details

• Status: In development under a new, unnamed publisher
• Former backer: Xbox, which pulled funding during a wider round of Microsoft layoffs
• Team: 110 people cut to 5; 10 leads rehired, now around 15–16
• Ownership: Romero Games says it owns the IP outright
• Announcement: No name, date, or platforms yet

What changed in the game?

Romero described it as a redesign rather than a trim: the original was a 110-person project the current team can't finish, so the studio is building a new game on the same IP, art, code, and characters. It is still a shooter. "We 100% own everything," he said, adding that the publisher has "zero creative goals" for the project.

The team plans to stay around its current size, with no dedicated producer. Romero is working hands-on in Unreal Editor and told VGC, "I don't like having a bunch of producers." A smaller team, a flatter structure, and fewer meetings to get through.

Why it matters

The project survived losing its publisher, but at roughly a seventh of its former headcount, and it is now a different game built from the same assets. Romero has not said who the new publisher is or when the game will be revealed.