“The new game is not what was [being made] in a partnership with Microsoft,” said Straw. “That game is gone, but they’re taking elements from it.” He went on to discuss the fact that the original version of the game was titled Hellslayer. “It was a first-person shooter inspired by Hotline Miami, meaning that if you die and would just come to life right away,” he continued.

While Straw wasn’t able to reveal what elements of this older title were being carried over into the new game, he expressed quite a bit of enthusiasm about what he has learned, especially for players that are already fans of classic id Software titles like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. As for why only parts of the original iteration of the game are being brought over into the new title, Straw speculated that it likely came down to the developers taking the time to see what they had and making a decision to narrow down the scope of the game.

Doom co-creator John Romero himself had confirmed that this shooter project had been saved after having gone through some major changes. In a discussion at Salón del Videojuego de Madrid earlier this month, Romero said that the title had “been basically completely redesigned,” while also noting that it “incorporates a lot of the elements” from the original incarnation of the game.

“We’re not starting at ground zero,” explained Romero. “We can take pieces out of and put into a brand new indie game. We have a lot of stuff we can put in the game. The design is completely different, but the team is very excited about the new design.”

As part of this redesign, Romero has also confirmed that the scope had been changed, making the newer incarnation of the title a “much smaller game” than what it used to be. This, he noted, also had the added benefit of revitalising the development team. He said, “the people working on it are all directors from different departments, and they didn’t actually get to the code or design or whatever to do it themselves, but now we get to actually do that”.

“[We get to] do the thing we are really good at, ourselves. And, that’s why small teams are great,” he continued.

Romero had confirmed that this project had been saved a few months after Romero Games CEO Brenda Romero had announced its cancellation from investors having pulled out. At the time, development on the game was noted as going quite well, with the studio being able to hit all required milestones.

In the discussion, Romero noted that the project has “been basically completely redesigned,” and ultimately, while it not have much in common with what it used to be, it still “incorporates a lot of the elements” from the original incarnation of the game. He further spoke about how the studio isn’t starting from scratch with the redesign. Rather, it has been trying to take pieces of the older project to see how it can fit into the new one.

“We’re not starting at ground zero,” explained Romero. “We can take pieces out of and put into a brand new indie game. We have a lot of stuff we can put in the game. The design is completely different, but the team is very excited about the new design.”

He also noted that the scope of the game has changed, with the redesign having made it a “much smaller game” than what it used to be. He also spoke about development on this project being a lot more fun for the team since a lot of different members of the studio are getting to work on it. He said that, “the people working on it are all directors from different departments, and they didn’t actually get to the code or design or whatever to do it themselves, but now we get to actually do that”.

“[We get to] do the thing we are really good at, ourselves. And, that’s why small teams are great,” he continued.

Ultimately, Romero didn’t provide much in the way of specific details about the project. Aside from the fact that it will be a shooter, Romero did bring up an interesting comparison when describing. “The things that you do in it, will be new to people, the way that going through Elden Ring was a really new experience,” he said.

“It was a very crazy place, and a different world, and it was really cool to explore it and be like ‘what is that?’ That’s the idea behind what we are doing in this game.”

Romero Games CEO Brenda Romero had originally announced the project being cancelled back in July. While she didn’t give confirmation at the time of what the game was going to be, she did note that its development was going quite well and that it had been hitting all of the milestones that had been set by the publisher. Despite this, however, the studio noted that it wasn’t going to close its doors.

“We want to address recent reports regarding the status of Romero Games,” said the studio. “These reports have contained inaccuracies, and we feel it’s important to set the record straight.”

“The funding for our project was pulled, and our game was cancelled. Due to confidentiality agreements, we cannot disclose the publisher’s identity, though some may infer it from public information. As a result, we now have to reassess the entire staffing of our studio.”

“We want to address recent reports regarding the status of Romero Games,” said the studio. “These reports have contained inaccuracies, and we feel it’s important to set the record straight.”

“The funding for our project was pulled, and our game was cancelled. Due to confidentiality agreements, we cannot disclose the publisher’s identity, though some may infer it from public information. As a result, we now have to reassess the entire staffing of our studio.”

Continuing its statement, Romero Games confirmed that it “is not closed, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that it does not come to that.” The studio continued: “Any suggestion otherwise is factually incorrect. Indeed, we were in the studio today to discuss next steps with the team.”

“We’ve been contacted by several publishers interested in helping us bring the game across the finish line, and we’re currently evaluating those opportunities. We appreciate the outpouring of support and will share further updates as we are able.”

Romero Games had confirmed that its in-development project was cancelled earlier this month through a post on LinkedIn. Studio co-founder Brenda Romero wrote about the game being in good shape until the publisher ultimately decided to cancel the title.

“We have some difficult news to share,” posted Romero. “Last night, we learned that our publisher has cancelled funding for our game along with several other unannounced projects at other studios. This was a strategic decision made at a high level within the publisher, well above our visibility or control. We deeply wish there had been something, anything, we could have done to prevent this outcome.”

“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, consistently received high praise, and easily passed all our internal gates. We are incredibly proud of the work being done and of the talented team behind it. The best we’ve worked with.”

In light of this, Romero had posted about the studio and its leadership doing everything it can to ensure that the studio isn’t hit hard enough by this project cancellation to avoid potential lay-offs. However, she did ask peers in the industry to keep their eyes and ears open in case opportunities for some of the developers from Romero Games pop up.

The last major release by Romero Games was tactical strategy title Empire of Sin back in 2020.

Now imagine that those leadership figures approach you and your team to tell you that your project, which you’ve poured years of your life into, has been cancelled. Actually, don’t, because what happened (allegedly, of course) is that studio leaders locked your team out of their Slack accounts while telling them that the same project has been cancelled. Oh, and hours later, you don’t even know if you’re still employed.

You could also try imagining a similarly aggravating situation at Halo Studios, formerly 343 Industries. After working for years to help turn around what one developer called a “dumpster fire of a live service,” you’re fired for the sake of “agility and effectiveness,” that too as a memo from Spencer touts that the company’s “platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger.” At the same time, Microsoft continues to invest more into AI, to the extent that one anonymous developer told Engadget, “They’re trying their damnedest to replace as many jobs as they can with AI agents.”

Perhaps it’s better to imagine life at Turn 10 Studios. Truth be told, you’ve had a rough year and a half. Forza Motorsport, your long-awaited reboot, is finally available…and fans hate it. Thus begins the slow process of fixing everything – the progression, the online play, the Car-PG mechanics your team so proudly displayed, and, of course, the numerous bugs. Months of new cars, tracks, events, and features later, it’s incomparable to past titles. But things are steadily improving.

Then you’re told that 50 percent of your studio is gone and that the Forza Motorsport franchise is essentially dead. That last point is still somewhat contentious, as it comes from a former Turn 10 Studios employee who left in 2016 (and may or may not still have connections). Regardless, based on the number of departures, it seems that those lucky enough to keep their jobs are relegated to mere support. For now, of course.

Following Microsoft’s mass layoffs, many more stories have begun to emerge about the studios affected. Romero Games, established by  John and Brenda Romero, has shut down. Xbox didn’t acquire it but rather provided funding for the studio to develop a new triple-A sci-fi first-person shooter. That’s since disappeared, according to an employee on LinkedIn, resulting in the game’s cancellation. And this isn’t a small operation – over 100 employees are affected.

Then there’s the story about last year’s demo for Perfect Dark reportedly being fake. It led to a bit of back and forth before former senior level designer Adam McDonald weighed in to reveal that the demo was in-engine and that, “It worked best if you played it the way the person playing in the video plays it, but it still worked even if you didn’t hit the marks perfectly.”

While acknowledging the existence of “some fake stuff,” McDonald said that the “real gameplay systems shown off worked juuust enough to look good in the video.” The parkour and hacking/deception systems were real – even the combat was quote-unquote real if played in that exact same way. What could have truly been with the final product? We’ll never know for sure, even as Alix Wilton Regan, Joanna Dark’s voice actor, asked fans to “speak up if you wanna see Perfect Dark survive.” Quite frankly, I approve of more people shouting at Microsoft for its incompetence or just in general.

As overwhelming as the number of stories has been, there also haven’t been enough. What’s going on with Compulsion Games? We know there were layoffs at Undead Labs, but to what extent is a mystery (and considering State of Decay 3 had its share of development troubles over the years, there’s reasonable concern over what happens next). Where is Contraband, the co-op title that Xbox Game Studios teamed up with Avalanche Studios to work on? How will the cancellation of Perfect Dark affect Crystal Dynamics, which was working on it alongside The Initiative?

Amid all this, one thing is for sure – Phil Spencer isn’t retiring anytime soon. Yes, there was actually a rumor that he would be retiring as Microsoft Gaming CEO, but almost as swiftly as it gained traction, the company was quick to clarify to The Verge that he is, in fact, staying. A salary cut, maybe? No? Alright.

To me, it feels like Xbox is a creature perpetually dreaming. Dreaming of the Xbox One as an all-in-one living room console centered on Kinect to reach a wider audience – the true endgame of the Xbox 360’s Kinect success. Dreaming of owning all these studios and just leaving them to their devices to make great games without any oversight. Dreaming of every platform being an Xbox and telling as many people as possible, as much as possible, in the hopes that they eventually believe it.

Yet, try as it might, it can’t control the contradictions that keep popping up and interrupting its obliviously peaceful slumber. Of players vehemently rejecting a Kinect-centric console and the executives who drone on about crossover media and TV shows. Of studios failing to meet deadlines, lacking the resources to address issues, or even just hoping that their projects are cancelled before launch because their leaders lack the first clue on what to do. And, my favorite – telling everyone that, “This is an Xbox,” while not even mentioning the PS5, where their titles are actually performing well sales-wise.

My second favorite is probably laying off all these employees and shuttering projects, then reportedly accepting ideas for the future. It happened with Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, who allegedly pitched Hi-Fi Rush 2 and a new Dishonored, and Microsoft decided it made more sense to shut them down. Then-Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty turned around shortly after and allegedly told remaining employees that the company needed “smaller games that give us prestige and awards.”

More recently, VGC’s Andy Robinson heard about reported pitches for a new Banjo-Kazooie with names like Toys for Bob and Moon Studios popping up. Time is a flat circle, wearing one of Spencer’s leather jackets and hyping up how the next year – the next year, for sure, guys – will be great for Xbox.

The bloom isn’t so much off the rose for Microsoft’s Gaming Division so much as the rose is now mulch. If there was hope about Xbox turning its fortunes around amid declining hardware revenue and gaming revenue only propped up by Activision, or at the very least, cautious optimism in its transition to a multi-platform publisher, maybe even the faintest glimmer that the next generation of Xbox could possibly reignite the brand, it’s dead.

Then again, Microsoft as a whole doesn’t seem to think in those terms. It seemingly functions to follow the money, no matter what trends it must plunge into or how much must be butchered, burned or buried in the process. The only constant in the company is change – changing what it will chase next, inevitably sacrificing the people who carried it so far, all in the name of revenue. Unfortunately, if there’s any other constant, it’s that no matter how much one dreams, eventually, you need to wake up.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Unfortunately, while the project has been cancelled, there has been no confirmation of what the game was going to be, or which company was publishing it. Romero does note that the studio was able to hit all of the milestones it was given, and got consistent praise from the publisher as development on the title was continued.

“We have some difficult news to share,” posted Romero. “Last night, we learned that our publisher has canceled funding for our game along with several other unannounced projects at other studios. This was a strategic decision made at a high level within the publisher, well above our visibility or control. We deeply wish there had been something, anything, we could have done to prevent this outcome.”

“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, consistently received high praise, and easily passed all our internal gates. We are incredibly proud of the work being done, and of the talented team behind it. The best we’ve worked with.”

Since the project has been cancelled, Romero has also stated that Romero Games is now looking at what steps it can take to continue supporting the developers working there. She also sends out a call-to-action to fans of the studio and other professional working in the industry to reach out if they know of opportunities for some of the developers at Romero Games.

“We’re currently evaluating next steps and working quickly to support our team,” posted Romero. “Many of us have worked together for more than a decade, some for over 20 years. It’s an extremely difficult day, and we’re heartbroken that it’s come to this. If you know of any opportunities or ways you can help our incredbile tea, please reach out. Thank you to everyone who’s offered support and kindness and encouragement during this difficult time.”

The post has been met by waves of support from professionals in the gaming industry, including publishing agent Phil Foxton as well as Marcin Brzostowski.

“This is sad news,” posted Brzostowski in response to Romero’s announcement. “I am open to supporting anyone by listening to them. I know how important it is for some to have emotional support.” Foxton also wrote about offering support, as well as keeping his ears open for new roles that might open up in other parts of the industry. “I shall be doubling down on reposting of any available roles,” he posted. “Hopefully those of my friends that are recruiters are able to help lots of people.”

The last major title by Romero Games was Empire of Sin, which was released back in 2020.

Developer Romero Games and publisher Paradox Interactive announced Make It Count, the first expansion for Empire of Sin. Make It Count will release on all platforms alongside the free Precinct update. The Precinct update introduces a Precinct management mechanic, adds new ways to win, and introduces mod support. Mods will be available to play at launch.

“After all the work we put into patching the game in the past few months, we’re ready to explore new aspects of the game to give players more content to sink their teeth into,” said Brenda Romero, co-founder of Romero Games, in a press release. “Make it Count, alongside the free Precinct update, brings new ways for players to play, manage and win as they build up their own Empire of Sin!”

According to Paradox, “the expansion will introduce a new boss, Meyer “the Accountant” Lansky, new gangsters, “the Fixers,” and their Loan Sharking Racket.” Lanksy “excels at economics and creates synergy in combat,” and can make peace using his money and connections. Five gangsters known as “The Fixers” are also up for hire. The Fixers come with loan sharking Racket and combat abilities, which allows player to Blackmail other characters and factions.

The expansion will also include several story missions based around Lansky and the Fixers, and several other additions, including “new rackets, new abilities, new gangsters and new missions.” Further details will be revealed later.

Empire of Sin is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC and Mac. You can watch a trailer for the expansion below.

Even after adding 20 Bethesda titles to the service, Microsoft has even more games coming to Xbox Game Pass. It announced that Empire of Sin would be available for Xbox consoles, PC and Android devices via the cloud on Mach 18th along with NieR: Automata and Torchlight 3 on PC and Star Wars: Squadrons on consoles.

Next week is even more interesting as Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler arrives for Xbox consoles and PC on March 25th. This will mark the RPG’s debut on Xbox One after previously releasing for Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia and PC over the years. Galactic-scale adventure title Genesis Noir will also be available on console and PC along with Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition and Supraland for PC on the same day.

But that’s not all as Sega’s Yakuza 6: The Song of Life also comes to Xbox, PC and cloud on March 25th, followed by pixel platformer Narita Boy on March 30th for the same. As announced yesterday, next month’s Game Pass offerings begins with People Can Fly’s Outriders coming to Xbox and cloud (but not PC) on April 1st. Stay tuned for more details on other titles in the meantime.

Romero Games’ crime-centric strategy title Empire of Sin is coming this Winter. It’s out on December 1st and will release for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and PS4. A new trailer was also released during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct Mini – check it out below.

The trailer serves to highlight Goldie and her gang, the Fortune Tellers. A performer by trade, Goldie is one of the many crime bosses in Prohibition-era Chicago that’s out to rule everything. Pitting the other bosses against and gunning down fools are only some of the things that players will be capable of in Empire of Sin.

Players will choose one of 14 crime bosses and set about controlling the the city, managing establishments and supply chains while keeping rival gangs at bay. Combat is more turn-based and allows for the use of different special abilities. All in all, the gameplay an interesting divergence from Paradox Interactive’s grand strategy titles while still having some manner of empire management. Stay tuned for more details on it in the coming months.

Romero Games and Paradox Interactive’s upcoming mobster strategy title Empire of Sin received a meaty update today at the Paradox Insider Showcase, giving us an extended look at gameplay, with the developers also dropping some new details on the game.

Empire of Sin will allow players to play as one of fourteen real life mob bosses in in Chicago during the Prohibition Era. This demonstration put a spotlight on Charles Dean O’Banion, showing his skills in combat, his negotiation tactics, and more. His special mob boss ability was also shown off. Called Blasphemy, it sees him using his special shotgun to knock back enemies and damage their armour. Take a look at the full thing below.

Originally scheduled for a Q2 2020 launch, following its delay, Empire of Sin is now slated to launch this Fall, when it will release for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more updates on the game.

Like many other major releases, Romero Games’ Empire of Sin has been delayed. Originally slated to release in Q2 2020, it’s now coming this Fall. According to a statement on Twitter, the development team simply said that game development can’t be rushed and that it appreciated the support of fans.

Published by Paradox Interactive, Empire of Sin is a strategy title set in Chicago during the Prohibition era. It’s a time of gangsters and illegal activities and players will need to manage four different resources to take their claim on the city. Over time, different allies can be recruited and will have their own traits.

Said traits will ultimately influence how these allies behave in the long run so don’t be surprised if one of them suddenly elopes upon finding love. Empire of Sin is in development for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay on it in the coming months.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! We have an update regarding the release of Empire of Sin: pic.twitter.com/5EMq7QZYCU

— Empire of Sin (@EmpireOfSinGame) February 18, 2020