id Software, the studio behind DOOM and Quake, has been reduced to the size of a support studio following significant layoffs, with at least one former employee publicly stating they see no viable path forward for the team.
The cuts have left id Software operating at a fraction of its former headcount — small enough that industry observers and ex-staff are describing it as a support studio rather than a full AAA developer. The quoted former employee put it bluntly: "I'm not convinced there's a viable way forward." No specific headcount figures or a precise timeline for the layoffs were provided in the source.
id Software is one of the most storied studios in PC gaming history, having created the first-person shooter genre with Doom and Quake in the 1990s. Under Bethesda and later Microsoft following the Activision Blizzard acquisition, the studio delivered the acclaimed DOOM 2016 and DOOM Eternal. Being reduced to support-studio scale raises serious questions about whether id can lead another major original project or whether it will be folded into assisting other Microsoft and Bethesda titles going forward.
The frank pessimism from former staff suggests the damage goes beyond headcount — institutional knowledge and creative leadership may have walked out the door with the cuts. Whether Microsoft has any announced plans to rebuild or redirect the studio remains unclear.
Sources (1)
AI-assisted summary, reviewed by our editors — how we work.
Get the daily digest
Top gaming news in Lithuanian — every day at 9:00.