Bad News, Doom Fans May Have Just Seen The End Of An Era

July 2026 saw the release of the Revelations expansion for Doom: The Dark Ages, creating a large new story filled with fresh gameplay features for players to experience. From new weapons like the Chain Spear to a newly structured level design, players have largely praised Revelations for sharpening the latest Doom title in the best ways possible. However, internal changes at developer Id Software have brought a negative air to what should be a celebrated release, mainly through a “reset” at Xbox.

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At the start of the month, larger company Xbox went through a massive restructure, resulting in historic layoffs in several studios across its gaming division. Nearly 3,200 jobs are planned to be cut, with more and more being announced each day. Although it didn’t seem like it would affect them at first, Id Software was one of the studios that Xbox eliminated several positions at, following Microsoft’s larger plans to consolidate the company and change its gaming business model.

Id Software Has Over Half Its Staff After Sweeping Layoffs Impact The Legendary Studio

One of the biggest round of layoffs in Xbox’s restructure was at ZeniMax Media, and a few studios the larger company had attached to it. For example, Bethesda Game Studios Austin, the developers behind Fallout 76, had around 22 job cuts due to Xbox’s mandate. Id Software is also managed by ZeniMax, who got bought out by Xbox in 2021. Due to the Xbox layoffs, Id Software lost around 136 employees, out of a reported 185 capacity recorded back in December 2025. This means that roughly 73.5% of Id Software’s workforce has been let go, across multiple important divisions.

These cuts came only a few days after Revelations released for Doom: The Dark Ages, setting up Id Software to fully focus on their next big project. The revitalized Doom series since 2016 has put Id Software at the forefront of modern games, creating some of the most popular FPS titles in the last decade, so these layoffs are particularly depressing compared to others. At the same time, Id Software is historically linked to gaming’s evolution as a whole, developing the revolutionary first Doom games that pioneered new technology beyond just games.

The Id Tech engine is legendary for providing speed and refinement to that studio’s games, acting as a non-standardized method of creating high-quality titles widely regarded for their visual fidelity and performance across platforms. With these layoffs, nearly every worker tied to Id’s personal tech have been let go, leaving very few people remaining to understand how to use it. This could drastically change how Id Software’s games look in the future, if they even have the resources to divulge into AAA title development down the road.

Id Software Has Released Statements Reassuring Players About The Studio’s Direction

The backlash from fans toward Xbox about the Id Software layoffs are to be expected, similar to when announced cuts were made regarding Double Fine, Obsidian, and Bethesda. That being said, Id Software released a statement through an official X post regarding the situation, firstly thanking fans for their support. According to the post, Id Software claims that “changes [layoffs] were spread across teams,” meaning that they weren’t as wide-sweeping as initial reports would make you believe. Id Software goes on to say that “we still have the crew we need to build the games and tech we’re known for.”

This bit of good news is relieving, as Id Software also clarifies that “The team today is about the same size we were when making Doom (2016). We have always had a flat studio where everyone is a maker, and we will remain true to that philosophy going forward.” The statement continues by reassuring fans that Id Software will focus more on supporting anyone who remains at the studio, building great games with the team they have. Yet, players are still worried that this message is meant to tone down a volatile situation, as the layoffs leave an impact regardless.

Genre Veterans & Tech Pioneers Are Among The Talented Creators Being Let Go

The most unsettling pattern in the Id Software layoffs is that several people let go were veterans of the gaming industry, with some working at Id for nearly 20+ years. These are creators who were deeply involved with not just the Doom series, but gaming and tech as a whole. Talented engineers capable of solving unique problems are no longer at Id Software, meaning that the studio will have a harder time than ever solving the problems that naturally come up during game development.

Even if the crew at Id Software is now the same size as it was when making Doom (2016), the loss of experience is huge. New Doom games might take twice as long to create, especially if they are looking to compete with the scale of Doom: The Dark Ages in other projects moving forward. Corners might get cut out of necessity, engines may be switched, and other changes may be imminent to adapt to the capabilities of remaining workers at Id Software.

Although these creators are undoubtedly talented too, the burden of work they now have to endure could shape any of Id Software’s franchises heavily as time goes on. Many players blame Xbox’s long-term strategies for putting Id Software in this position, with Game Pass and other models preventing the studio from thriving to a point where it could avoid layoffs. The instability of current AAA structure definitely needs to change, but for now, the makers behind Doom: The Dark Ages and its Revelations DLC may have to change the series heavily in order to stay afloat as Xbox’s restructure continues.

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