Microsoft reportedly met with Romero Games just a day before pulling funding — and said absolutely nothing about what was coming

by

The aftermath of the job reductions, dismissals, and project terminations at Microsoft last week persists, with this new account painting a rather grim depiction of how the situation is being managed.

Reports indicated that Romero Games had been developing a new game funded by Microsoft, but the project was unfortunately scrapped along with other recent cancellations.

As a devoted admirer, I must share some disturbing news that has surfaced. The story, reported by The Journal.ie (through PC Gamer) and hailing from Romero Games’ homeland of Ireland, casts Microsoft in an even more unfavorable light. Interestingly enough, this meeting with the studio occurred on the very same day prior to these reports.

And said absolutely nothing about what was coming.

In simpler terms, an employee at Romero Games stated that on the day prior to the incident, they held discussions with the publisher. However, nothing related to the issue was brought up during those conversations.

The ex-employee mentioned further that the anonymous First-Person Shooter game in development was progressing quite nicely, and they are actively seeking new financial backers. At present, the studio is operating under closure.

As a tech aficionado, I can’t help but be alarmed by the revelations in this report, particularly the human toll it seems to suggest. It appears that Microsoft’s business practices, as portrayed in this document, are highly questionable, and it seems Romero Games have been caught up in this unfavorable light at the very least.

Of course, any publicly-traded corporation will strive to keep sensitive information concealed for as long as feasible, considering the potential impact on its stock price. However, such a sudden turn of events, like conducting business as usual then abruptly having the rug pulled out just 24 hours later, seems exceptionally underhanded and disheartening.

Microsoft should be better than that. Any company should be better than that.

As an analyst, I can confirm that while Romero Games’ downsizing garnered the most attention, it wasn’t the only studio affected by recent changes. Turn 10 Studios, creators of Forza Motorsport, experienced a significant reduction in workforce, estimated to be around 50%. This once independent studio has now been restructured to provide support for Playground Games on their Forza Horizon series.

It was also reported that a work-in-progress game at ZeniMax Online, which Microsoft’s Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, seemed to enjoy playing, has been cancelled along with Everwild, The Initiative’s project, and Perfect Dark.

A colleague of mine, Cole Martin, recently penned down — Xbox has assured us that all games demonstrated in their 2025 Showcase are still on schedule—yet one might question the veracity of such claims. It’s a reasonable query, and Microsoft could face heightened distrust from its gaming community if they don’t deliver on their promises.

Phil Spencer, in his hints, has disclosed the possibility of a fresh Forza Horizon game for the upcoming year, Gears of War E-Day, possibly a new Halo installment, and we’re yet to see Fable. Additionally, there will be several unheard-of projects in our future.

As a bystander, I’d ponder if the heavyweights like Forza Horizon and Gears of War truly stand unscathed. But can we confidently assert the same about the lesser-known titles?

I hope that Romero Games can secure fresh financing, allowing us all to enjoy the results of their hard work.

Read More

2025-07-07 14:39