When Microsoft laid off 9,000 people last week, a significant portion of its gaming business was also impacted, even studios Microsoft didn't own. Romero Games, the studio founded by DOOM creator John Romero, had its funding cut due to the layoffs and cuts at Microsoft, resulting in its project being cancelled. After developers from the team reported that they had lost their jobs at Romero Games, it was believed that the studio had also closed down due to the loss of funding.
That's not the case, according to Romero Games, who published a new statement today on its social media channels. The studio did not deny that it had to make cuts to staff, and reiterates that the loss of funding resulted in the game it was developing being cancelled. But it refutes any claims that the studio had closed.
"Romero Games is not closed," the statement reads, "and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that it does not come to that. Indeed, we were in the studio today to discuss next steps with the team."
The studio also goes on to say that since the layoffs at Microsoft and Romero Games' project being cancelled, it has been in contact with "several publishers" who could potentially help bring the game they were working on back to life. The studio is "currently evaluating those opportunities."
At least there's still a chance for Romero Games to pick up where it left off, with this loss of funding potentially being nothing more than a speedbump on the studio's road to completing development on its current project. Hopefully that's how it looks in hindsight in the near future, when we're all playing whatever Romero Games has been cooking up.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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