Romero Games Refutes Closure Reports After Project Cancellation

Studio acknowledges funding loss but insists it’s fighting to stay afloat, seeking new partnerships.

Amidst conflicting reports, **Romero Games** denies claims of shutting down despite the cancellation of their upcoming first-person shooter due to a publisher withdrawing funding. The Ireland-based studio insists it’s actively seeking new opportunities to keep its doors open.

Funding Pulled, Staffing Reassessed

After the cancellation, an anonymous source told The Journal that the studio was closing and everyone was losing their jobs. In response, **Romero Games** issued a statement acknowledging the funding loss but refuting the closure claims.

“The funding for our project was pulled, and our game was canceled,” the statement said, adding, “Due to confidentality agreements, we cannot disclose the publisher’s identity, though some may infer it from public information.”

The statement continued, “As as result, we now have to reassess the entire staffing of our studio. 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.”

In the U.S. alone, the video game industry has seen a 9% decrease in employment opportunities over the past year, reflecting the volatile nature of game development (Zippia 2024).

Potential Rescue on the Horizon

The studio’s statement offered a glimmer of hope, revealing interest from other publishers. “Several publishers [have] contacted us interested in helping us bring the game across the finish line, and we’re currently evaluating those opportunities.”

While **Romero Games** has not confirmed the publisher, speculation points towards Microsoft, which recently underwent significant layoffs within its gaming division.

These layoffs impacted approximately 9,000 employees and led to the closure of The Initiative, along with the cancellation of several projects like Perfect Dark, Everwild, and Zenimax Online Studios’ MMO, codenamed Blackbird.

Earlier reports indicated that Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 was also purportedly shuttered, leaving the team dissolved.