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John Romero’s Next Shooter Survived the Microsoft Purge, Now He’s Taking Inspiration From The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
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.
In short
- 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.
Explained simply
John Romero is a game designer best known for helping create Doom, an influential first-person shooter from the 1990s. He now leads Romero Games, the studio behind a new shooter that builds on work from a project cancelled after Microsoft withdrew its funding in 2025.
The funding loss led Romero Games to shrink from 110 staff to five. Romero says the team has since found a publishing partner, though he has not named it or announced a release date. He has described exploration and player choice as important to the game, likening its sense of discovery to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.