John Romero’s $50 million cancelled Microsoft FPS reborn as bold indie shooter with Elden Ring–level innovation
Earlier this year, Microsoft cancelled numerous high-profile projects and shut down many studios. Among the casualties was Romero Games and its unnamed first-person shooter. Fortunately, Doom co-creator and studio founder John Romero says his project has been transformed into something in the same realm as Elden Ring.
Romero Games’ first-person project, under Microsoft's endorsement, had been in development for years. The studio has a dedicated team of 110 members, pouring their time into what Romero dubbed a “huge game” with around $50 million invested in assets. However, Microsoft shelved support amid restructuring plans earlier this year.
But Romero’s FPS project is far from dead. Romero spoke at a panel at the Salon del Videojuego de Madrid earlier this week. He mentioned that the studio pressed forward, seeking new funding amid workforce reductions.
Romero says that his FPS project has secured a path forward, though he’s remained tight-lipped about details regarding the backer or publisher. A studio representative told news outlets, “We decline to reveal any details about funding or publishing at the time.”
Romero says the original shooter has now been redesigned as a smaller-scale indie project, essentially abandoning its AAA ambitions for something different yet innovative.
Romero explained at the panel:
So, we survived the cancellation of a huge game. There’s been a really good 110 people working on the game every day for years. The game’s been completely redesigned. The new game has nothing to do with the previous game, but it incorporates a lot of the elements that we had in the previous game.
So, we’re ahead. We’re not starting at ground zero. We have 50 million-worth of a game we can take pieces out of and put into a brand new indie game.
So far, it’s been confirmed that the game is a single-player FPS with no co-op or multiplayer. The real focus is new, groundbreaking mechanics that Romero deems will be a breath of fresh air.
Romero further stated, “I’ve never played a game like it before, other than the fact that it’s a shooter. But the things that you do in it will be, I’d say, probably new to people in the way that going through Elden Ring was a really new experience.”
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