id Software said to lose about half its staff in Xbox cuts
Reports and a former employee say the Doom studio was hit hard as Microsoft carries out wider layoffs across Xbox and ZeniMax.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
id Software, the Microsoft-owned studio behind Doom and Quake, has laid off about half of its workforce as part of broader Xbox cuts, according to Game Developer and a former id employee. The reported reductions hit one of Microsoft’s best-known game studios while Xbox is cutting thousands of jobs and reshaping parts of its game business.
Game Developer reported that id cut roughly 50 percent of its staff, citing people familiar with the layoffs. One person told the publication that the reductions amounted to more than 90 jobs, while another said the studio’s quality assurance team was hit hard.
The Verge reported that the cuts came on the same day id released a major expansion for its latest Doom title. Xbox did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment, according to the publication.
Michael Maynard, a former id employee affected by the layoffs, wrote on LinkedIn that the cuts hit “roughly” half the company. Maynard praised the studio’s engine technology and criticized Microsoft and Xbox for removing so many people from the teams that build id’s games.
Union says ZeniMax teams were hit
id Software developers unionized last year. The Communications Workers of America said this week’s layoffs damaged teams across id Software, Bethesda Game Studios and ZeniMax Online Studios, naming studios tied to Doom, Quake, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
Derrick Osobase, vice president of CWA District 6, said in a union statement that the layoffs would hurt the quality of those games, make them less enjoyable, delay releases and reduce Microsoft’s revenue. The union did not provide its own headcount for the id cuts in the statement cited by The Verge.
John Romero, an id Software co-founder, posted a message on Bluesky supporting employees affected by the layoffs. Romero said he was sorry for those leaving the studio and described the experience of departing id while the company continues without them.
Romero has also been affected by Microsoft’s gaming cuts before. The Verge reported that Microsoft canceled funding for a Romero Games project during a July 2025 round of Xbox cuts and layoffs.
Microsoft’s wider Xbox reductions
Bloomberg reported on Monday that ZeniMax, the Microsoft-owned parent of id, Bethesda and other studios, would put more focus on major franchises including Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Quake and Wolfenstein. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier also said on Bluesky that id would cut a significant number of staff.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said about 1,600 Xbox employees were laid off on Monday and that roughly 1,600 more cuts would follow during Microsoft’s fiscal year ending in June 2027, according to The Verge. The Verge also reported that the Xbox reductions are part of wider Microsoft layoffs affecting 4,800 workers.
Blizzard Entertainment, which is under Activision, had not been immediately affected by layoffs, according to The Verge. Windows Central reported that Blizzard president Johanna Faries told employees in a memo that the company would share more details about what the day’s events mean for Blizzard.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.