Romero Games Shuttered and Over 100 Staff Axed After Xbox Pulls Funding

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Update #2 [Sat 5th Jul 2025, 12:15am]: The doors at Galway’s Romero Games have been shut down, leaving more than 100 employees without jobs, as Xbox has withdrawn funding for their latest project.

That’s according to Irish publication The Journal, which matches previous reports on the topic.

It’s thought that, although the specifics are not yet clear, Microsoft’s subsidiary Bethesda has been contracted to release a fresh first-person shooter game developed by the legendary DOOM designer John Romero and his team.

This week, it lost financing as part of a broader cost reduction plan that led to the cancellation of numerous games, closure of one studio, and job losses for many.

It’s possible, albeit with a sliver of possibility, that Romero Games might secure fresh financing and restart their activities down the line. However, at this moment, they appear to have closed their doors temporarily.

Update #1 [Thu 3rd Jul 2025, 6pm]: The resumes of the affected developers at Romero Games indicate that the studio has been terminated following this week’s Xbox announcement.

A range of employees, spanning different fields such as art and programming, have shared updates regarding the same issue, with some confirming that the entire team was terminated.

One former employee, in particular, expressed deep disappointment that the studio is shutting down because of budget reductions imposed by the publishing company.

A forthcoming venture by the esteemed DOOM designer, John Romero, and his associates has been terminated due to broader Xbox reductions that have sent shockwaves through the gaming world this week.

Due to the withdrawal of financing (initially planned by Microsoft subsidiary Bethesda for release potentially on PS5 and other systems), there have been job cuts at Romero Games, the development studio involved.

In a statement, it said:

Our team’s performance, the quality of the project, and the work being done are not in question here. We’ve consistently met deadlines, garnered high praise, and sailed through all internal assessments effortlessly. We take immense pride in our accomplishments and the exceptional talent that makes up our team – it’s the best we’ve ever worked with.

The studio is currently working hard to figure out their next steps. They’ve also shared that similar situations have arisen in other studios, regarding previously undisclosed projects.

It added:

This move was a high-level strategy from the publishing company, beyond our view or influence. Wishing we could have taken some action to alter the result, we find ourselves regrettably powerless in this situation.

It appears that Romero Games has experienced layoffs following the cancellation, and artist Cristoph Redl is one of those who have been let go.

This week, Microsoft announced job cuts affecting over 9,000 staff members globally, with the Xbox team being significantly impacted.

Due to the upheaval, the company decided to postpone or possibly abandon high-profile in-house games such as Everwild and Perfect Dark, originally planned for release on the PlayStation 5.

For now, it seems Phil Spencer, the division leader at Xbox, won’t be leaving his post, contrary to retirement speculations. It’s reassuring to know that there’s stability in the team, isn’t it?

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2025-07-05 02:06