In a fresh twist, Romero Games denies it’s closed, and says publishers could yet save its FPS
Multiple employees claimed all employees had been let go, following Microsoft cuts
Romero Games, the studio founded by John and Brenda Romero that was thrust into the spotlight this week following Microsoft’s significant cuts, has denied it has closed its doors.
Last week, Romero Games confirmed it had lost funding for its unannounced shooter project, after an unspecified publisher, later named as Microsoft, pulled its publishing agreement.
Later, an employee claimed the “whole studio” was being let go as a result of the pulled publishing deal, and a second, anonymous employee echoed this claim in a report by The Journal.
In a newly published statement addressing the studio’s status, Romero Games has denied that it has closed its doors and stated that it has been contacted by “several” publishers who could yet save its unannounced project.
“We want to address recent reports regarding the status of Romero Games,” it said. “These reports have contained inaccuracies, and we feel it’s important to set the record straight.
“The funding for our project was pulled, and our game was canceled. Due to confidentiality agreements, we cannot disclose the publisher’s identity, though some may infer it from public information. As a result, we now have to reassess the entire staffing of our studio.”
The statement continues: “Romero Games is not closed, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that it does not come to that. Any suggestion otherwise is factually incorrect. Indeed, we were in the studio today to discuss next steps with the team.
“We’ve been contacted by several publishers interested in helping us bring the game across the finish line, and we’re currently evaluating those opportunities. We appreciate the outpouring of support and will share further updates as we are able.”
Speaking to The Journal this weekend, an anonymous Romero Games staff member described the situation as “a big shock” and claimed that “everyone is out of a job.”
“We had meetings with the publisher the day before this happened, there was no mention of it… It seemed so far away for us. The title was pretty well developed at the time.”
Microsoft announced the sweeping layoffs last week, which could result in over 9,000 staff members losing their jobs.
