John Romero, the person behind the scenes and a major player in the FPS industry, who also co-created DOOM, has opened up about a case in which he made a significant mistake while working at Romero Games. In a candid conversation, he mentioned that the company had to face a major project cancellation, and the problem was so significant that it necessitated revising the long-term plan and the team's approach to the project. Romero characterised this case as “huge,” saying that the lost project had been under development for a long time and a lot of resources had been invested in it, even though game cancellations were a regular phenomenon throughout the industry.
The cancellation led to an immediate internal reorganisation. Teams that had been engaged in the work of creating the vertical slices, world-building, and prototyping suddenly found themselves in a completely different situation. Romero said that the studio had to gear up for a financial, creative, and scheduling battle. Still, at the same time, the event also allowed the coming of something new, something he calls “energising, liberating, and creatively refreshing.”
How the Cancellation Sparked a Fresh Creative Reboot?
Romero and his team, instead of stopping, treated the cancellation as an opportunity to reassess their ambitions. As a consequence, the leading mission was to forcefully make a shooter that goes out of the box of repetition that defines the modern FPS trends. Although the cancellation was disheartening, Romero freely admitted it also washed away the past and took them back to the raw thrill that used to be the hallmark of the classic FPS titles.
The creative reboot compelled the studio to reconsider the following areas :
- Combat pacing
- Player choice
- Enemy behaviour variety
- Level design philosophies
Narrative integration that does not slow down the action, Romero claimed that this change was similar to the early days of id Software, when it was experimental, independent, and fearless.
Losing a major project can often be a significant source of discouragement for a development team. Still, Romero has stressed that his studio found a new source of determination, thus changing the course in the direction that feels “much more exciting than the previous one.”
A New Shooter That Feels as ‘Fresh and Surprising as Elden Ring’
Romero's announcement contained a big surprise regarding the project, which he likened to FromSoftware's Elden Ring in terms of the newness of the upcoming game. Upon the release of Elden Ring, it was no less than an act of God by the developer to completely change the narrative of open-world gaming. In the case of a legendary FPS designer, to illustrate the point by going to the source of that model, which has been the main one set by others, is hard to beat in terms of expectations.
Romero made it clear that the point made was not that the new title is Soulslike. It was rather a reference to the following :
- How Elden Ring swept stale design practices off the floor
- The manner in which it unfailingly gave rewards to those who took the trouble to seek them, rather than offering dumb assistance
- The gamers' passion for the game and how it was reflected in their play
- Preadventure-like gaming vibes all over
Romero would want to give the same energy to the FPS genre, but it is not merely a revival but a rebirth in a way where players will be able to experience different things, like :
- Systems responding to their every action
- The environment is being changed dynamically by combat encounters
- A sense of progress that is neither linear nor restricted
- A realm that is vibrant, adventurous, and full of secrets
What Romero's statement suggests is that Romero Games is looking to push the boundaries of the modern shooter experience that is commonly associated with the military campaigns, corridor levels, and predictable enemy placements that are still prevailing in a lot of AAA releases.
Why the FPS Genre Needs Something New?
Despite the fact that shooters are still the most popular forms of entertainment across the world, their recipe has not changed much. The consensus around battle royale, tactical extraction gameplay, live-service, and cinematic linear campaigns has been established and accepted. Romero believes that the industry is waiting for a change—the kind that disrupts the status quo and brings the spirit of innovation that characterised the FPS of the 90s.
Modern FPS patterns vs. Romero's hinted new direction, a simple table that compares the two :
| Current FPS Trends | Romero’s Promised Direction |
| Formulaic mission structure | Open-ended, discovery-driven levels |
| Predictable enemy waves | Dynamic, reactive enemy behaviour |
| Heavy UI guidance | Exploration without hand-holding |
| Scripted set-pieces | Emergent encounters driven by player action |
| Linear world design | World-based or semi-open systems |
Romero’s ambition is not to replicate the past innovations of the industry, but rather to usher in a new era of creativity in shooters, drawing inspiration from the DOOM classic.
The Tech Behind the New Shooter : UE5, Next-Gen Tools and Modern AI
Romero Games has already confirmed that the next big shooter from their studio will utilise Unreal Engine 5, and the new statement confirms that this remains the case, even though the project has been cancelled. Unreal Engine 5 features, such as Nanite, Lumen, Chaos physics, and MetaSounds, make it possible for Romero to build the kind of world that is full, detailed, and real-time, as he dreams.
Moreover, the studio's attention to "freshness" is in sync with :
- Cutting-edge AI behaviour patterns
- Partially open-world settings
- Use of procedural methods done thoroughly
- Fighting frameworks that adapt to various playing techniques
Romero has asserted that the upcoming game will be centred on "high-action gameplay with modern depth," which indicates that the game might combine old-school fastness with today's world design. This feat is no longer very common in the market and has not been easily mastered.
A Team with Veteran Talent and Global Expertise
Romero Games has left behind the status of a small independent studio. The company is now strengthened by the presence of experienced professionals who have been associated with the following gaming companies :
- Blizzard
- Electronic Arts
- Ubisoft
- id Software
- Remedy
- CD Projekt Red
These individuals not only add a considerable amount of knowledge but also come with skills in :
- First-person combat
- RPG systems
- Narrative design
- Environmental artistry
- Network engineering
Romero considers the recent difficulties as part of the overall development. Still, he firmly believes that with such a diverse range of skilled professionals, it is the strongest position the studio has ever been in. He pointed out that the cancellation was not a cause of demoralisation among the team; on the contrary, it made them feel liberated to take even greater risks and to have even higher ambitions in the dream they were chasing.
Industry Impact : Why Romero’s New Shooter Matters
With John Romero’s name connected to any project, there comes historical significance.
His contributions are not only :
- Fast-paced arena shooters
- Map-based exploration
- Vertical combat
- Multiplayer deathmatch mechanics
When he proclaims that his forthcoming shooter would be a revolution in the genre, the proclamation is nothing but a gaze turner. The gaming world has had its own share of titles characterised as revolutionary FPS games, including Half-Life, Halo, BioShock, DOOM (2016), and Titanfall 2, but such releases are hardly common. Romero’s vow casts a shadow of something that might be able to come that far.
Moreover, the timing is very important. A lot of gamers are getting tired of :
- Live service models
- Excessive microtransactions
- Battle passes
- Predictable seasonal loops
An innovative single-player or hybrid shooter, rather than a monetisation-focused one, could very well make a significant difference in the existing landscape.
Fans Are Excited but Cautious
The gaming community's response was a mix of excitement and cautious optimism. While fans respect Romero's past, they also realise that having high hopes doesn't necessarily mean everything will go perfectly.
Nonetheless, the openness about the cancellation and the new idea has been well received by the fans, and so it comes together that there are various aspects that they want to highlight :
- They need a shooter that has its own character instead of just another run-of-the-mill military FPS game.
- They consider the innovation in world design akin to that of the Elden Ring as the home.
- They expect Romero to bring in the modern-day mechanics along with the speed and chaos that characterised DOOM as the iconic one.
If the studio gets it right, the game might redefine the very concept of what a next-gen shooter should be like.
Conclusion: A Setback That Might Lead to a Genre-Shaping Comeback
The recent announcement made by John Romero regarding the cancellation of a big project is likely to be perceived as bad news, but it seems to have turned out to be good news after all. Rather than remaining committed to a path that no longer excited the staff, Romero Games has switched to the production of a shooter with the intention and goal of being “as fresh as Elden Ring”, a daring and great promise.
If the end product encompasses even the slightest bit of the surprise, freedom, intensity, and innovation that Romero is talking about, the FPS genre would be almost ready for one of its most exciting evolutions in a long time. For the moment, fans are anxiously awaiting the official unveiling, hoping that the next big leap of Romero's will once again change the rules of the game.
