# John Romero’s Next Shooter Survived the Microsoft Purge, Now He’s Taking Inspiration From The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/john-romeros-next-shooter-survived-the-microsoft-purge-now-hes-taking-inspiration-from-the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild/
- Published: 2026-10-30T09:48:45+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T01:51:32+00:00
- Original publisher: IGN
- Original article: https://www.ign.com/articles/john-romeros-next-shooter-survived-the-microsoft-purge-now-hes-taking-inspiration-from-the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming

## Key points

- Romero Games has secured a new publisher for its shooter.
- The studio was cut from 110 staff to five.
- Romero says exploration and freedom will shape the game.

## Summary

John Romero says Romero Games’ new shooter has found a publishing partner and is progressing, despite Microsoft withdrawing funding in 2025 and the studio shrinking from 110 staff to five. The project matters as a continuation of Romero’s work after a major setback, though he has shared few specifics.

Romero confirmed the game uses Unreal Engine 5.8 and carries over elements from the cancelled project, but did not name its publisher or give a release date. He described exploration and player freedom as central, comparing the experience to getting distracted on the way to a goal in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; he has not confirmed it is open-world.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.