Bloody Hell, John Romero's Cancelled Shooter is Back, and Apparently, it's Had an Elden Ring Glow-Up!
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Gaming legend John Romero's cancelled shooter is back from the brink, completely redesigned and surprisingly inspired by the sense of wonder and exploration found in Elden Ring, hinting at a truly unique experience from a smaller, passionate team.
Right, so picture this: you've been working on a spell for ages, pouring your essence into it, only for some cosmic administrator to come along and snip the funding thread right out of your hands. Pretty grim, yeah? That's kinda what happened to Doom creator John Romero and his team not too long ago, when their untitled shooter got unceremoniously punted into the ether of cancelled projects.
But here's where it gets interesting, mate. You know that feeling when you accidentally blow a hole through reality and find something even cooler on the other side? Well, it seems Romero's game just pulled a similar trick, emerging from the digital void with a fresh coat of metaphorical paint and a rather intriguing inspiration: Elden Ring.
Now, let's rewind a sec. If you've been plugged into the gaming currents this summer, you'll know there were some pretty significant ripples, particularly around Microsoft. While no names were explicitly called out – because, you know, corporate speak is often more cryptic than an ancient wizard's scroll – it was heavily inferred that the mass layoffs at the tech giant were the catalyst. Suddenly, Romero Games, the studio co-founded by the legendary John Romero and his wife Brenda, found their publisher had pulled the plug on their project, along with a few 'other unannounced projects at other studios.' It was a gut punch, no doubt, leaving fans (and probably the dev team) wondering if this was the end of the line for the studio and the game.
But hold onto your wands, because Romero Games quickly reassured everyone they weren't going anywhere. Instead, they donned their adventurer hats and went on a quest for a new publisher, a new patron, a new mystical artefact to resurrect their vision. And fair dinkum, it seems they found one! Romero himself recently dropped the bombshell at Salón del Videojuego de Madrid (a fancy shindig for gaming over in Spain), confirming with a flourish that the game had 'survived cancellation.' The crowd, naturally, went wild – it's like hearing your favourite wizard finally found the last ingredient for that legendary potion.
Now, you might be thinking, 'Survived? Does that mean it's just picking up where it left off?' And here's where it gets even more fascinating, and where my gently skeptical antennae start to twitch in the most delightful way. Romero spilled a few more beans, revealing that while a good 110 people are working on the game, it's been 'basically completely redesigned.' He further clarified that it has 'nothing' to do with the *previous* game but 'incorporates a lot of the elements' from it. "We're not starting at ground zero," he said, hinting that they're salvaging pieces from the wreckage to build something new. It's like demolishing a castle but keeping all the cool gargoyles and enchanted tapestries for your new, slightly smaller, but definitely more efficient magic tower.
What truly got my attention, though, was Romero's take on the team. He mentioned it's now a "much smaller game" but "more fun" for the crew. Why? Because 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." Ah, the sweet nectar of creative freedom! Getting to "do the thing we are really good at, ourselves." He reckons that's why small teams are great. And honestly, as someone who's seen plenty of big studios get bogged down in bureaucratic goo, I can absolutely see the magic in that. It's like a smaller, more agile band of mages cooking up spells together, rather than a giant, unwieldy council debating the colour of the new apprentice's robes.
Then came the kicker, the bit that made my internal narrative projector start whirring: the Elden Ring comparison. Romero couldn't talk about design specifics just yet – typical wizardly secrecy – but he did say he's "never played a game like it" before. And then he dropped the golden nugget: "But, 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 elaborated on that 'Elden Ring feeling': "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, my friends, is the driving idea behind their new shooter.
Now, let's break that down for a moment. This isn't just about making a Souls-like shooter; it's about invoking *that sense of wonder and discovery*. Elden Ring excels at a world that feels ancient, mysterious, and dangerous, where every corner could hide a breathtaking vista or a terrifying monster. For a shooter – a genre Romero practically helped invent with Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein – to aim for that kind of environmental storytelling and emergent exploration is genuinely exciting. Will we be piecing together lore from bullet casings? Will enemy types feel like ecological inhabitants rather than just fodder? Will the very act of traversing the world feel like a constant, thrilling question mark? The possibilities are wilder than a rogue spell in a crowded tavern.
Romero's legacy speaks for itself. The man is a pioneer, a titan whose fingerprints are all over the FPS genre. His games didn't just push boundaries; they *created* them. So when someone of his calibre says he's 'never played a game like it' and draws parallels to Elden Ring, you sit up and pay attention. It suggests a genuine attempt to innovate, not just iterate.
So, what does this all mean for us, the eager gamers? It means a legend is back, not just salvaging an old idea, but actively reshaping it into something new and, dare I say, potentially groundbreaking. It's a tale of resilience, creative passion, and finding unexpected magic in the ashes of a cancelled project. We're getting a shooter, yes, but one seemingly infused with a deep sense of place, mystery, and discovery. That's a potent brew, mate. Let's just hope the reality lives up to the tantalising promise.
This curious digital wizard will be keeping a keen eye on this one, you can bet your enchanted boots on it.
*Original scoop brought to you by Victoria Phillips Kennedy over at Eurogamer. They've always got their ear to the ground for these kinds of epic sagas.*
Tags: JohnRomero, EldenRing, GameDevelopment, FPS, IndieGaming
Original article: Eurogamer