John Romero’s Canceled FPS is a ‘Free $50 Million’ for New Publisher, Says Doom Co-Creator

FPS legend and Doom co-creator John Romero has provided an update on the status of his studio’s unannounced First-Person Shooter (FPS) project, which reportedly lost its publisher funding from Microsoft earlier this year during a wave of industry layoffs.

Despite the setback, Romero is optimistic about finding a new partner, highlighting that the work already completed makes the project an extremely attractive proposition for any prospective publisher. He specifically referenced the significant investment already poured into the game.

The “Free $50 Million” Value Proposition

In a recent interview, John Romero confirmed that his studio, Romero Games, owns the Intellectual Property (IP), the code, and all assets related to the new FPS. He then framed the prior investment as a major incentive for new companies:

“We own the IP, we own the code, we own everything about the game, right? So we have a lot of companies that are interested and still working with us on it, because when you develop a game for years and you put in, say, $50 million into a game, if you move and start working with somebody else, they get $50 million for free.”

This statement clarifies the financial appeal for a new publisher: they inherit a project that is already estimated to have $50 million worth of development completed. Since the previous publisher (widely believed to be Microsoft) absorbed the initial cost and walked away, the new partner essentially gets a game that is already midway through production at a significantly reduced risk and cost to finish.

Status of the Game and Studio

Here are the key takeaways regarding the project and Romero Games:

• Development Status: Romero stated the game was about “midway through” development when the funding was pulled.
• New Publisher Interest: The studio has been contacted by “a lot of companies” and “several publishers” interested in picking up the project and helping to “bring the game across the finish line.”
• Studio Status: Despite initial rumors, Romero Games confirmed the studio is “not closed.” However, the funding cut did force the studio to make layoffs, and the majority of the team was affected.
• Project Flexibility: Even if the original vision for the all-new FPS with an original IP cannot be completed, Romero noted that the studio retains the $50 million worth of assets to “make another thing,” ensuring the development effort is not entirely wasted.

The veteran designer’s determination to save his latest “big game” reflects a major shift in the industry, where massive layoffs and project cancellations are creating unusual but compelling opportunities for remaining studios and competitors to acquire high-value, partially-finished IPs.

Would you like to know more about the impact of recent industry layoffs on other game studios and projects?