Two thirds of remaining Doom (2016) devs laid off during latest round of Xbox cuts - Game Developer

What the report says

Game Developer reported that current and former id Software staff are challenging co-director Hugo Martin’s public reassurance about the studio’s condition after Microsoft’s latest Xbox layoffs. During a livestream tied to the launch of the Doom: The Dark Ages expansion Revelations, Martin denied claims that id had been severely reduced, saying the studio remained about the same size as when Doom (2016) was made and that id Tech was still active.

The outlet said that a WARN notice listed 136 layoffs tied to id Software’s Texas office, including 40 remote workers, after Microsoft announced plans to cut 3,200 Xbox roles before the end of its fiscal year. Game Developer cited multiple anonymous sources who said roughly two-thirds of the remaining id employees who had worked on Doom (2016) were laid off at the start of the month, including experienced developers who had handled multiple responsibilities.

Those sources did not necessarily dispute that id may now be similar in headcount to its 2016 size, but argued that the comparison overlooks the loss of institutional knowledge. One current employee told Game Developer that laid-off staff viewed Martin’s comments as minimizing their role in the studio’s games, and said the remaining Doom team had effectively been split in half.

Game Developer also reported that an affected source pointed to earlier turnover around 2010-2011 and later hiring and support-studio involvement during Doom (2016)’s lengthy production as important context. The story matters because it raises questions about how major Xbox-owned studios will maintain output after deep cuts. Game Developer said it contacted Microsoft for comment.