John Romero, a pivotal figure in the creation of Doom and a co-founder of id Software, has voiced his concerns regarding the recent widespread layoffs at Xbox, which have significantly impacted id Software.
"I'm so sorry for everyone at id Software affected by these layoffs... 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," Romero stated on the social platform Bluesky. He acknowledged the enduring legacy of id Software's seminal titles, including Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein, noting that even after his departure, subsequent games demonstrated "real care, skill and respect for what those worlds mean to people."
Beyond expressing solidarity with those affected, Romero highlighted the critical importance of preserving id Software's historical and industry-defining work, particularly amid emerging concerns about the potential discontinuation of the id Tech engine. "id's history is critically important to the history of games," he asserted. "I've preserved id's complete early history from our start at Softdisk through to August 6, 1996, including materials and assets that, as far as I know, id itself no longer has. I hope someone is doing the same for the company's ongoing legacy (the work, code, assets, stories, and the people behind them)."
Romero's comments come after his own studio, Romero Games, experienced significant challenges and layoffs approximately a year prior. Despite these difficulties, reports from late 2025 indicated that their new project, described as an Elden Ring-inspired shooter, remains in active development. Romero and his wife have previously expressed concerns that the broader games industry is heading towards a more severe downturn than the crash experienced in the 1980s.