Doom Developer id Software Faces Major Staff Reductions Amid Xbox Layoffs

In a significant wave of layoffs affecting Xbox, id Software, the studio behind Doom, has reportedly reduced its workforce by about 50 percent, translating to over 90 job losses. Sources indicate that the quality assurance team faced particularly heavy cuts. This news coincides with the launch of a major expansion for the latest Doom title.

Michael Maynard, a former employee impacted by the layoffs, confirmed the figure in a LinkedIn post, stating that the reductions affected “roughly” half of the company. He expressed disappointment, highlighting the studio’s achievements in developing top-tier first-person engine technology. “Yet today, Microsoft/XBOX decided half the team was deemed USELESS and needed to be let go; despite all the amazing work and effort from every designer, programmer, artist, audio specialist, level designer, fx, tech design, and on and on and on,” he wrote.

Xbox has not yet responded to requests for comment. Meanwhile, reports indicate that ZeniMax, the parent company of id and other studios, is shifting its focus toward major franchises like Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Quake, and Wolfenstein. A Bloomberg reporter noted that id would be reducing its staff significantly.

Last year, developers at id formed a union. Derrick Osobase, vice president of CWA District 6, commented on the layoffs, stating, “Today’s layoffs decimated the teams at id Software, Bethesda Game Studios, and ZeniMax Online Studios, legendary studios whose employees brought us games like Doom, Quake, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. The layoffs that occurred this week will lower the quality of these iconic games and make them less fun to play with longer delays in releases, ultimately just hurting the players and driving down revenue for Microsoft.”

John Romero, cofounder of id, shared his support for those affected by the layoffs, expressing his sorrow for the impacted staff. He reflected on the emotional toll of leaving a place filled with personal and professional history. Romero has also experienced the repercussions of Microsoft’s budget cuts, as funding for a new title from Romero Games was reportedly canceled during the recent layoffs.

On Monday, around 1,600 Xbox employees were let go, with an additional 1,600 expected to be cut throughout Microsoft’s next fiscal year, which ends in June 2027, according to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. These layoffs are part of a larger reduction affecting 4,800 employees across Microsoft. Blizzard Entertainment, under Activision, has not yet faced immediate layoffs, but Blizzard president Johanna Faries informed staff that they can expect more details about the situation in upcoming communications.