One of the godfathers ofFPSgaming, John Romero’s contributions to influential series such asWolfenstein, Doom, andQuake—and gaming as a whole—cannot be understated. However, his post-turn-of-the-century efforts haven’t been nearly as acclaimed as the titles on which he stamped his name in the 90s. That said, this could be changing, as Romero Games, a Galway-based studio founded by John and his wife Brenda in 2015, is currently looking to fill multiple positions related to an undisclosedFPSgame the studio has in development.Romero’s recent tweet about the subject was less of an announcement and more of a casting call of sorts. He only offers that Romero Games is “working on a new FPS,” and implores those occupying appropriate fields to check out their website. Romero Games’ homepage does confirm that this new project will utilize Unreal Engine 5, though little else is said about the forthcoming game. There are a lot ofUnreal Engine 5 projects in the worksright now, and, given the capability of the engine, it’s impossible to guess for what exactly Romero and his team may be using it.RELATED:Doom Eternal On Switch Is Getting A Limited Edition Physical ReleaseIt could be that Romero is hoping to assemble a larger team to produce the upcomingDoom 2add-onSIGIL 2, but that doesn’t seem likely. The originalSIGILdebuted as a so-called megawad for the originalDoom, and its retro-centric design philosophies were praised by many old-school FPS gamers. That said,SIGILwas primarily a solo effort, and it doesn’t seem like Romero would require a team of Unreal Engine 5-savvy developers to assemble a sequel.
What’s more likely is a new entrant in the current boomer shooter revival that’s taking place in the indie scene. Titles such asDUSK,Amid Evil, andIon Furyhave cultivated a revived interest in mid-90s FPS gaming, and, given the developer’s background, Romero Games is most likely cooking up a new take on the retro craze. It’s also worth noting that Romero teamed up with ex-Id Software cohort Adrian Carmack toproduce a crowdfunded title calledBlackroom, but nothing ever came of that.
Could this new project be the next step for that long-shelved game idea, or will Romero and company be venturing into totally new territory? Longtime fans probably still remember the auteur creator’s last deviation from the norm which came in the form of 2000Daikatana, a game so reviled that it’s still remembered as a travesty more than two decades after the fact. Yet, given his work onSIGILand recent commemoration ofWolfenstein 3D’s thirtieth anniversary, it seems Romero is more focused on his most well-received work.
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