Following widespread reports of devastating layoffs at id Software, Xbox has pushed back against claims that the studio's core technology team has been hollowed out. While 136 of the studio’s 185 staff members were recently let go, an Xbox spokesperson confirmed that the team behind the id Tech engine remains active.
"There are dozens of people working on id Tech across multiple locations," the spokesperson stated, explicitly noting that reports of only one person remaining in the Richardson, Texas, studio are "inaccurate." Despite this statement, the company has not provided a specific headcount for the remaining engine team.
Quick Facts
- Total Layoffs: 136 of 185 staff members were let go.
- Engine Status: Xbox denies claims that the id Tech team is down to a single person.
- Development Pipeline: Pitches for a co-op Doom, a new Perfect Dark, and a John Wick-inspired cyberpunk project were in development prior to the cuts.
Concerns Over Institutional Knowledge
The layoffs have sparked significant concern regarding the future of the studio's technical capabilities. Sources speaking to Kotaku expressed doubt regarding the ability to maintain the engine, citing a massive loss of institutional knowledge. One source went as far as to suggest that "id Tech as a technology is probably dead forever."
Derek Best, a former principal VFX artist at id Software with a 12-year tenure, corroborated the severity of the cuts. Best claimed that the studio has been relegated to "support studio size" and noted that the VFX team was reduced to a single artist without a lead or producer. According to Best, the loss of key personnel—including those with specialized Houdini knowledge for procedural modeling and cached animations—means that previous work, including assets for Doom: The Dark Ages, may have gone to waste.
While Xbox maintains that the engine team is still operational, the departure of senior developers and the cancellation of multiple internal pitches highlight a period of deep uncertainty for the legendary developer.