Upcoming FPS title canceled by Romero Games following the withdrawal of funding from the publisher

Romero Games is no longer developing its planned first-person shooter because the publisher chose to withdraw financial support.

On social media, Brenda Romero, the studio's director, indicated the decision was strategically made by the publisher at a high organizational level, beyond the studio's influence.

"We just received word that our publisher has ceased funding our game, in addition to several unannounced projects managed by other teams," Romero communicated. "We sincerely wish there was something we could have done to alter this outcome."

Romero emphasized that the move does not reflect the quality or performance of their project or team. The development met every target on schedule, earned commendations, and surpassed internal benchmarks with ease. The team is credited with outstanding efforts.

This decision led to some employees being laid off from the studio.

"Our immediate focus is providing support to our team as we assess future steps," Romero stated. "Some members have worked alongside each other for well over a decade, while others for more than two decades. It's a challenging time, and disappointment runs deep.

"If there are any possibilities or avenues to aid our exceptional team, please contact us. We appreciate everyone who has offered support during this challenging period."

A former worker hinted that the project's cancellation and resulting layoffs were influenced by the recent Microsoft staff reductions.

The layoffs impacted approximately 9,000 individuals, as reported by CNBC. This led to the closure of The Initiative, and the cancellation of Perfect Dark, Everwild, and Zenimax Online Studios' MMO, codenamed Blackbird.

Around half of the personnel at Forza Motorsports' Turn 10 were also dismissed, alongside employees from Call of Duty developer Raven Software.

GamesIndustry.biz is committed to offering updates on the Xbox layoffs as more details emerge regarding the affected studios and divisions.