There's no other way to describe the latest Microsoft Xbox layoffs under parent company Microsoft Gaming than tragic. With 3,200 jobs getting cut by July 2027, it's no surprise that studios from Bethesda Softworks to Obsidian Entertainment have been significantly impacted, but it feels like few have been hit as hard as id Software, the legendary development studio behind the DOOM and Quake series. An official statement released a few days ago downplayed the brutal reset, but it seems like the situation is as dire as it looked like when the first reports came in, as the cuts may have made it impossible for another game to be powered by the stunning id Tech engine.
"One studio worker who was laid off last week claimed that statement is stretching reality to breaking point," a report from Game Developer reveals. "They explained the "majority" of staff who worked on the recently-launched Revelations expansion for DOOM: The Dark Ages have been let go."
Making matters worse are the cuts made to the id Tech engine team. "They've just gotten rid of all the people who could ever fix, maintain, or change id Tech, so it's most likely going to end up in the trash can. That's where I just come back to: It completely feels like success is detached from your ability to keep a job, and I think that's basically provable," the former id Software worker said. "There were five members of the VFX team, including the lead that were laid off. Our technical art and design department now only has its lead. That's it. All other four of the members of the team were let go. The institutional knowledge that has been lost on the id Tech side is immense. [...] I cannot imagine a path forward where they make another game in id Tech."
The situation, however, remains unclear regarding the id Tech team. In a statement provided to the BBC, Xbox said it had "dozens of people working on ID Tech across multiple locations" and that earlier reports that the Texas team has been wiped out are inaccurate.
The Xbox layoffs didn't stop at gutting the id Tech team. According to this former developer, "90 percent of the design team responsible for overseeing AI and gameplay within the studio have been wiped out." In addition, employee number 13 was laid off, one of the longest-serving developers who has been at the studio since the days of John Carmack and John Romero. Removing such a developer is definitely the worst decision to make if you're really planning to make "makers" the core of a successful strategy, as Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated.
With the Xbox layoffs cutting so deep, it almost feels impossible that id Software could be working on any new game. Reports suggest that a new entry in the DOOM series is in the works, but with so much talent having been laid off, it remains to be seen how this new entry in the series will fare, if it ever comes out. With such devastating layoffs, it's difficult to have a positive outlook.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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