John Romero, co-creator of Doom, shared condolences after Xbox carried out major layoffs at id Software. The cuts, announced around July 6, affected roughly half the studio's staff of 185. Romero also stressed the need to preserve the studio's history and assets.
Romero posted on X and Bluesky on July 7 that he was sorry for those affected. He noted the painful experience of leaving id Software while the studio continued. Romero highlighted the care shown in recent games for Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein.
He urged digital preservation of id Software's legacy, including code, assets, and stories. Romero said he has already saved materials from the studio's early years at Softdisk through August 6, 1996. He hopes others will continue this work for later periods.
Reports indicate the layoffs hit id Software particularly hard, with some estimates reaching 95 positions cut. The reductions came as the studio prepared to launch DLC for Doom: The Dark Ages. id Software was founded in 1991 by Romero, John Carmack, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack.
