Overview
- A Texas WARN filing confirmed that id Software cut 136 roles this week, a reduction that company statements and reporting say represents roughly half the studio’s headcount.
- id Software posted that it remains about the same size it was when making DOOM (2016) and that it “still have the crew we need to build the games and tech we’re known for.”
- Departing staff and several reports say the layoffs heavily hit the idTech engineering teams, with some saying key engine experts were let go while Microsoft says dozens of engineers still work on idTech across locations.
- Co-founders John Carmack and John Romero publicly expressed sorrow and skepticism, and unions and workers are organizing protests as Microsoft proceeds with a wider plan to cut about 3,200 Xbox jobs and divest some studios.
- The cuts create short- and medium-term risks for id’s unannounced projects, for cross-studio idTech support, and for timelines on large AAA work, with observers watching whether id shifts to narrower franchise support or regains scale over time.