Over 100 staff laid off as Galway-based Romero Games shuts down after funding cut

The Journal

a day ago

GALWAY-BASED GAME studio Romero Games has shut its doors after funding was pulled by its publisher, leaving more than 100 staff without jobs.
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 publisher in question is Microsoft,
which announced 9,000 layoffs earlier this week
.
Brenda Romero confirmed the sudden closure in a statement today, 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 unemployed, including staff in Galway, Dublin, Sweden, the United States, Australia, and South Africa.
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.
'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.
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'We're trying to find other ways of funding the project,' the employee added. 'But for now, it's completely closed, and the studio is closed.'
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, and with no ongoing publishing support, the company was unable to continue.
The Financial Services Union, through its Game Workers Unite Ireland branch, described the closure 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:[e-mail]
You can leave a callback request
https://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 is now focusing on helping affected employees find new opportunities.
'Many of us have worked together for more than a decade, some for over 20 years,' she said.
'We are incredibly proud of the work being done and of the talented team behind it. The best we've worked with.'
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