id Software issues statement following Xbox job cuts
id Software has been downsized to 2016 levels – Xbox axes a decade of growth
id Software has today issued a statement following brutal cuts across Xbox. Microsoft confirmed sweeping job cuts on July 6th, one day before the release of id Software’s newest release: DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations. Since then, several reports have claimed that id Software experienced deep job cuts, a cruel move by Xbox management on the eve of a new software release.
With their statement, id Software has confirmed that it has been impacted by job cuts, but that those changes were spread across teams. The studio stated that they still have the crew required to make new games and the tech they are known for. The studio claims to be roughly the same size as they were when making DOOM (2016).
While their statement doesn’t directly mention their idTech engine, their statement that they will “keep building the great games and tech that have defined us”, implies that the idTech engine isn’t getting scrapped. That said, it is undeniable that Microsoft’s job-cutting exercise will hit the studio hard.
A message from id pic.twitter.com/4i4YyjB3xc
— id Software (@idSoftware) July 10, 2026
Microsoft could have done much more with id Software
The good news is that id Software will continue developing its own games and technologies. Reports that they became a mere “support studio” are unfounded. That said, it is hard to read this statement as anything more than damage control from Xbox higher-ups.
id Software is a studio with incredible potential. While it is not Microsoft’s most profitable studio, its tech is amongst the best in the business. Microsoft would have done well to better exploit id Software’s expertise. Destroying a decade of growth for a premier game studio is short-sighted. Regardless, Xbox’s management and long-term thinking don’t go hand in hand. Xbox’s constant reshuffles are evidence of that.
When Microsoft first acquired Zenimax, many wondered if Halo would move to the id Tech engine. When Halo moved to Unreal Engine 5, many gamers wondered why Xbox refused to use id Tech and instead chose to give much of their future Halo Revenues to Epic Games. The idTech engine is one of the best FPS engines available, and Xbox owns it. Not moving Halo to id Tech was a huge missed opportunity.
Thankfully, id Software still plans to develop its technology and build new games. Sadly, it needs to do this with much less staff and with a lot of lost expertise.
You can join the discussion on id Software’s statement on the OC3D Forum.
