Current and former id Software staff have pushed back against director Hugo Martin's recent defense of the studio following Microsoft layoffs. Anonymous sources told Game Developer that roughly two thirds of the Doom (2016) team were let go earlier this month.
Microsoft announced 3,200 layoffs across its Xbox division two weeks ago. The cuts reached id Software, the studio behind the Doom and Quake series.
Martin, who directed the latest Doom games, stated in a livestream that reports of the studio being reduced to a support role were overstated. Several employees who worked on Doom (2016) disagreed with that assessment.
One source said many laid-off staff felt their contributions were dismissed as insignificant. The same source noted the team size had effectively been halved.
The layoffs also affected developers who worked long hours to complete Doom 2016 after an earlier project was cancelled. id Software's future projects remain unclear, though Xbox leadership has expressed interest in additional Doom and Quake titles.
