Following recent layoffs within the Xbox division, id Software director Hugo Martin pushed back against reports suggesting the Doom and Quake studio had been significantly diminished. However, "current and former employees" have since voiced disagreement with his optimistic assessment, painting a more critical picture of the studio's current state.
Game Developer shared accounts from multiple anonymous sources indicating that approximately two-thirds of id Software employees who worked on Doom (2016) were laid off at the beginning of the month. These departures include developers who were described as integral to the veteran team. Some affected individuals reportedly expressed disappointment with Martin's public comments, viewing them as dismissive of their contributions to the studio's success.
"I don't agree with Hugo's statement and many who were laid off were upset by those comments and saw it as viewing their contributions as insignificant to the success of our games," one source told Game Developer. "In truth the Doom team is half here, half thrown away."
These sources also highlighted the tumultuous development of Doom 4, a project that was ultimately canceled and nearly jeopardized the studio. Doom (2016) emerged from the wreckage of that canceled title, a process that reportedly took seven years and involved significant crunch. Individuals who contributed "an unsafe number of hours to make that happen" were among those laid off earlier this month, according to the reports.
Another perspective suggests that Martin's assessment of the post-layoff studio size may not account for a "massive turnover and exodus" that occurred at id Software between 2010 and 2011, which allegedly left the studio in a precarious position. The subsequent increase in hiring and the involvement of external studios in the final stages of development for recent titles complicate the view of id Software's current capacity. The reports imply that a significantly reduced id Software might face challenges in independently producing another triple-A shooter under Microsoft's current expectations.
Despite these internal concerns, id Software recently released its expansion-sized Revelations DLC for Doom: The Dark Ages. While the studio's future direction remains uncertain, reports indicate that Xbox leadership is keen on pursuing more titles in the Doom and Quake franchises.