id Software reportedly cut in half amid Xbox layoffs

id Software has laid off around 50 percent of its staff as part of Microsoft's broader Xbox restructuring. The cuts, which one source pegged at more than 90 redundancies, come on the same day the studio releases a major expansion for its latest Doom game.

id Software loses roughly half its workforce. Multiple outlets confirm approximately 95 employees were affected at the Doom developer. Game Developer first reported the scale of the reductions, with one source telling the publication that the QA department was significantly impacted.

A former id employee, Michael Maynard, corroborated the roughly 50 percent figure in a LinkedIn post. He wrote that Microsoft and Xbox deemed half the team "USELESS" despite their work on what he called "arguably THE BEST first person engine technology in the industry."

Union and industry figures respond to the cuts. Developers at id unionized last year. Derrick Osobase, Vice President of CWA District 6, said in a statement that the layoffs "decimated the teams at id Software, Bethesda Game Studios, and ZeniMax Online Studios," predicting lower quality, longer delays, and reduced revenue for Microsoft.

id co-founder John Romero posted a message of support for those affected. "I'm so sorry for everyone at id Software affected by these layoffs," he said, according to IGN. "I know what it feels like to leave id while id goes on. It's a strange and painful thing to step away from a place that holds so much of your work, friendships and history."

Timing coincides with major Doom release and strategic shift. The report emerged as id launches a significant expansion for its newest Doom title. Bloomberg previously reported that ZeniMax, id's parent, would focus more on big franchises including Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Quake and Wolfenstein. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier noted on Bluesky that id would cut a "significant number" of staff.

The studio is not shutting down but will operate with a smaller team, according to corroborating reports from GameSpot, IGN and GamesIndustry.biz. IGN identified principal character artist Denzil O’Neill, who worked on multiple Doom titles, among those laid off. GamesIndustry.biz cited industry veteran Scott Miller saying most or all coders were impacted.

Broader Microsoft and Xbox cuts total thousands. Approximately 1,600 Xbox employees were laid off on Monday, with another 1,600 expected throughout Microsoft's next fiscal year ending June 2027, according to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. The Xbox reductions form part of wider Microsoft layoffs affecting 4,800 employees overall. Blizzard Entertainment has not been immediately impacted, though its president signaled further communications to staff.

Xbox did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Verge. The cuts follow a July 2025 round in which Microsoft reportedly canceled funding for a new title from Romero Games. Romero himself is familiar with the effects of the company's cost-cutting measures.