id Software, the storied developer behind the Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein franchises, has reportedly suffered significant staff reductions, with roughly half of its employees impacted by recent layoffs within the Xbox gaming division. This news follows Xbox's announcement of plans to cut 1,600 jobs across its gaming division.
A report from Game Developer, citing internal sources, indicates that id Software's headcount has been reduced by around 50 percent. An affected senior employee has corroborated this figure on LinkedIn. According to the report, the studio's quality assurance department was particularly affected.
While most of id Software's employees unionized in December, it remains unclear how many of those union members were among those laid off. The Texas-based studio, founded in 1991, was instrumental in popularizing the first-person shooter genre. It was acquired by ZeniMax in 2009, which was subsequently purchased by Xbox in 2021.
John Romero, a co-founder of id Software, expressed his sympathy on social media, acknowledging the difficulty of leaving the studio. He noted the dedication of current id Software employees in advancing the legacies of its iconic series, stating, "The people at id have done a great job moving that legacy forward. DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein are not easy names to carry on, especially in today’s industry. The last few games showed real care, skill and respect for what those worlds mean to people."
These layoffs are part of a wider restructuring at Xbox, which has also led to the spin-off of Arkane Studios and divestments from other studios including Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Undead Labs, and Ninja Theory. Some of these studios have transitioned to independent operations, while others have found new ownership.
Game Informer has reached out to Bethesda/ZeniMax for comment and will provide updates as they become available.