Updated 8 July 2025

GALWAY-BASED GAME studio Romero Games is working to attract a new publisher for a major project after its funding partner pulled the plug, risking 100 jobs, last week. 

On Friday, it was understood that there was no more work for the 100 affected employees but the situation has improved over the weekend.

The studio, founded in 2015 by industry veterans Brenda and John Romero, had been working on a new first-person shooter with what it described as “a major publisher”.

Multiple sources, including staff, have said the original publisher in question is Microsoft, which announced 9,000 layoffs earlier this week.

Brenda Romero confirmed the sudden change in a statement on Friday, saying the decision was “made at a high level within the publisher well above our visibility and control”.

“This absolutely isn’t a reflection of our team’s work, performance or the quality of the project itself. We hit every milestone on time, every time,” she said.

“We’re heartbroken that it’s come to this.”

The abrupt end to the project has left the studio’s global workforce at risk, including staff in Galway, Dublin, Sweden, the United States, Australia, and South Africa.

In a fresh statement on Monday, Romero Games said the funding was pulled and the game was cancelled – but that the studio remained open and the firm would “reassess the entire staffing”. 

“Romero Games is not closed, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that it does not come to that,” it added. 

“We have been contacted by several publishers interested in helping us bring the game across the finish line, and we’re currently evaluating those opportunities.” 

Romero Games studio in Galway city. Google Maps Google Maps

While company accounts for last year show Romero Games employed around 42 people directly, it is understood the broader network of developers working on the project numbered more than 100.

Speaking to The Journal, one anonymous Romero Games staff member described the situation as “a big shock”.

“Everyone is out of a job,” they said on Friday.

“We had meetings with the publisher the day before this happened, there was no mention of it.

We were being told we were making great progress. So this came completely out of the blue.

The employee said the team had suspected something might be coming given recent layoffs at Microsoft, but felt their project was far enough along to be safe.

“It seemed so far away for us. The title was pretty well developed at the time.”

Romero Games was working under contract with the publisher, and now has no remaining funds to continue operations.

“We’re trying to find other ways of funding the project,” the employee added.

The sudden announcement has left an “emotional toll” on the staff, the worker said.

“It’s not just about losing the job. In this kind of work, you leave a little part of your soul in what you’re doing,” the staff member said.

“For people not to be able to share what they did – it’s frustrating. It was work we were very proud of. For some people, it was years of their lives.”

Romero Games was known for Empire of Sin, a 1920s strategy title published by Paradox Interactive in 2020.

In July 2022, the studio announced that it had begun work on a new original project – a AAA (major-budget) first-person shooter built in Unreal Engine 5, a cutting-edge game development platform used for creating high-end visuals and immersive gameplay.

The unnamed title was being developed in collaboration with a major publisher, now widely believed to be Microsoft, and was said to be progressing well before the abrupt cancellation.

John Romero, co-founder of the company, is a celebrated figure in the industry, having helped create genre-defining titles like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D.

The latest accounts for Romero Games Ltd show strong financial performance, with profits of €1.5 million in 2024 and €1.2 million in 2023, according to Business Plus.

However, those earnings were tied to project-based contracts.

The Financial Services Union, through its Game Workers Unite Ireland branch, described the possible end of the project as a “devastating blow” and said it was reaching out to affected staff.

If you have been affected by the layoffs at Romero Games and need support, please reach out to us at GWUI.

Freephone: 1800 81 91 91 or email:advice@fsunion.org

You can leave a callback requesthttps://t.co/zSABBrVjMe#RomeroGames pic.twitter.com/BXkwuCDvzZ

— Game Workers Unite Ireland (@GWU_Ireland) July 3, 2025

“This again shows the precarity in the sector, where even high-performing, well-regarded teams can be wiped out at short notice because of decisions far beyond their control,” a spokesperson said.

Brenda Romero said the company will help affected employees find new opportunities, if required. 

“Many of us have worked together for more than a decade, some for over 20 years,” she said on Friday. 

“We are incredibly proud of the work being done and of the talented team behind it. The best we’ve worked with.”