John Romero's Next Game Finds New Publisher After Xbox Cancellation
The highly anticipated upcoming game from John Romero, a foundational figure in the creation of Doom, faced an uncertain future following its cancellation by Xbox last year. Nevertheless, Romero recently shared encouraging news in a fresh interview, announcing that his studio has successfully secured an alternative publisher, ensuring the project will move forward.
Romero Games, established over a decade ago by John Romero and his spouse, game designer Brenda Romero, has a history of developing titles such as Gunman Taco Truck, Empire of Sin, and various Sigil episodes for Doom + Doom II. The studio had initially planned to transition into AAA shooter development with support from Xbox Game Studios. However, this partnership was cut short when Xbox discontinued the project during its extensive layoffs in 2025, leading to further staff reductions at Romero Games. In a conversation with Video Games Chronicle, John Romero elaborated on the project's journey, confirming that he has been able to re-engage several developers who were previously laid off. The studio’s team initially shrank from 110 to a mere 5 members due to a lack of funding, yet they retained full ownership of the project's intellectual property. Ultimately, they succeeded in finding a new entity to back the game. Romero mentioned that he reached out to an acquaintance, resulting in a new publishing agreement, although specifics regarding the publisher and announcement date remain confidential. As of October 2026, Romero Games has approximately 15 developers, and the game has been re-envisioned to suit the smaller team’s capabilities, utilizing a significant portion of previously created art, code, and character assets, which provided a substantial head start.
Regardless of the final iteration, it is gratifying to observe that elements from the original concept will be brought to fruition. This outcome contrasts with the less fortunate circumstances of other studios that were similarly impacted by industry changes, highlighting a commendable display of resilience and strategic adaptation in the face of adversity.
