After days of worry about the future of id Software, the studio has finally spoken. While the recent Xbox layoffs hit the developer hard, it says it still has everything it needs to keep making games and building its own id Tech engine. The update comes after one of the biggest rounds of cuts the studio has ever seen. id Software lost 136 employees—more than half of its total workforce—just one day before releasing the DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations expansion.
The layoffs quickly raised fears among both fans and employees. Now, the studio has tried to calm those fears with an official statement on July 10. In a message shared on social media, id Software thanked fans for their support and confirmed that, although it was affected by the layoffs, the cuts were spread across different teams.
They said, “While our studio was impacted, those changes were spread across teams. We still have the crew we need to build the games and tech we’re known for. The team today is about the same size we were when making DOOM (2016). We have always had a flat studio where everyone is a maker, and we will remain true to that philosophy moving forward.”
The developer revealed that its current team is about the same size as the one that created DOOM (2016). id Software also said it will continue supporting both its current employees and the people who lost their jobs, calling the layoffs a difficult moment rather than the end of the studio’s future. They added, “We are focused on supporting each other and the team members impacted. We’re going to keep building the great games and tech that have defined us for the past 35 years, and we’re looking forward to seeing you at QuakeCon this August.”
Even with that message, questions remain about what the studio will look like in the years ahead. For now, however, id Software still seems to have the people, technology, and the plan to continue making the games it is known for.
