Nearly 90 employees have been let go from id Software, with reports suggesting that most, if not all, of the studio’s coders and its quality assurance team were included in the layoffs. This represents roughly half of the studio’s workforce, signaling a significant downsizing within one of the industry’s longstanding developers.
The cuts at id Software coincide with a larger shakeup within Xbox’s parent company, which announced a substantial corporate reset involving thousands of job losses across various subsidiaries. Bethesda, the publisher connected to id Software, has experienced multiple departures as part of this strategic refocus, aiming to prioritize its most successful franchises.
Despite the layoffs, id Software recently launched a major expansion titled Revelations for DOOM: The Dark Ages on multiple platforms, a release that sources describe as some of the studio’s finest work. However, this could be one of the last significant additions to the franchise for some time, given the studio’s uncertain future.
Industry insiders, including former Bethesda team members and founders familiar with the studio, emphasize that the layoffs might effectively reduce id Software to a nominal operation, retaining only minimal staff. The publisher's renewed focus reportedly leans heavily toward its flagship series, such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, with less clarity about id Software’s role going forward.