id Software, the legendary developer behind some of the most influential shooters in history, has been gutted by significant layoffs. According to a former developer, 136 of the studio’s 185 employees have been cut by Microsoft, effectively relegating the team to a support-sized operation.
Derek Best, a former principal VFX artist who spent over 12 years at the studio, confirmed the scope of the cuts on LinkedIn. Best noted that the layoffs occurred just before the launch of the latest Doom: The Dark Ages DLC, which the team had crunched to complete. The impact on the studio's technical capabilities is stark: the VFX team has been reduced to a single artist with no lead or producer, and the team responsible for the id Tech engine—a foundational piece of technology for games like Quake and the modern Doom series—is now reportedly down to one person.
The End of an Era for id Tech
The reduction of the engine team is particularly notable given the widespread influence of id Tech. Beyond its use in id Software’s own titles, the engine’s history is woven into the industry; the IW Engine and Treyarch NGL engines, which power the Call of Duty franchise, were originally based on id Tech 3. More recently, the technology proved its versatility in the adventure game Indiana Jones and The Great Circle.
Best expressed his frustration regarding the decision, stating, "Nothing says business success like nuking a team into the dirt and relegating them to support studio size while also throwing out massive technological achievements." He added that "collectively decades of knowledge was wiped out of the studio" in the process.
A Shift in Xbox Strategy
The layoffs arrive amid reports that Microsoft is pushing Bethesda to prioritize its major franchises, including Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, The Elder Scrolls 6, and Fallout 5. This push for faster output has already impacted other studios, with reports suggesting that Obsidian canceled a potential Avowed sequel to focus resources on a Fallout project.
Prior to the layoffs, the team at id Software had been working on several new concepts, including a co-op Doom title, a new Perfect Dark, and a John Wick-inspired cyberpunk game. With the studio now hollowed out, the future of these internal projects remains unclear as the company shifts its focus toward supporting Microsoft’s broader Xbox portfolio.