John Romero has confirmed that Romero Games has secured a new publisher for its previously cancelled Xbox-backed shooter project. The studio has also rehired 10 former employees and redesigned the game to accommodate a much smaller development team. The publisher’s identity remains undisclosed, and no announcement date has been confirmed.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Video Games Chronicle (VGC) at Gamescom Asia on October 30, 2026, the Doom and Quake co-creator revealed that Romero Games had reached a publishing agreement after losing funding from Microsoft. The original project has not been revived in its previous form, however, with the developer instead creating a substantially different shooter using assets and technology from the abandoned game.
Romero explained that the studio previously employed approximately 110 people before the loss of funding forced it to reduce its workforce to just five. The company initially attempted to retain employees while searching for alternative financing but eventually concluded that completing the original project was no longer feasible.
The new publishing agreement has allowed Romero Games to bring back 10 developers, primarily former leads responsible for different development teams. Its current workforce stands at approximately 15 to 16 employees, a size Romero expects to maintain during production.
Rather than attempting to finish a project designed for more than 100 developers, Romero has created a new game that takes advantage of existing work. He confirmed that the studio retained full ownership of the original project’s intellectual property, artwork, code and other assets despite losing its previous publishing arrangement.
The redesigned shooter incorporates characters, weapons, graphics and programming from the earlier project, allowing development to continue without rebuilding everything from scratch. However, Romero emphasized that the new title is fundamentally different from the game originally planned.
He confirmed that the project remains a shooter but said its broader design has changed substantially. Specific gameplay mechanics, environments and features have not been revealed.
Romero also described the advantages of returning to a smaller development team. Rather than managing multiple departments, he is directly involved in designing the game and working with Unreal Editor. The current team consists largely of experienced leads who work closely together without a dedicated producer.
The studio’s new publishing agreement also provides considerable creative freedom. According to Romero, the publisher has not imposed creative requirements on the project, allowing the developers to determine its direction independently.
The announcement follows a difficult period for Romero Games after Microsoft withdrew funding from its unannounced shooter in 2025. The loss of its publishing agreement triggered widespread layoffs and raised questions about the studio’s future. Romero Games subsequently denied reports that it was closing and continued seeking ways to sustain development.
Microsoft’s broader restructuring has also affected its gaming operations, including Xbox, which has faced continued organizational changes and cost reductions. The company’s more recent voluntary buyout program covering Xbox and Windows divisions reflects further changes across its workforce.
Although the previous project was associated with Microsoft, Romero has not confirmed whether the redesigned shooter will launch on Xbox or other platforms. The new publishing deal does not establish any platform exclusivity or release plans.
Romero Games has yet to reveal the game’s official title, gameplay footage, release window or publishing partner. The October 30 interview confirms that development is continuing under a new agreement, with a smaller team building a redesigned shooter from material created for the original project.
