id Software says it still has "the crew we need" despite losing a significant portion of its staff in recent Xbox cuts

id Software has issued a public statement pushing back against concerns about its ability to continue making games following this week's Xbox layoffs, insisting the studio retains enough staff to carry on. The statement comes as reports emerged that the cuts may have been even more severe than initially understood, with some estimates suggesting over 70% of the workforce was let go.

The details:

• In a statement posted to social media on July 10, id Software 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."
• WARN notices filed with the state of Texas confirmed 136 layoffs at id Software: 96 office-based employees and 40 remote workers. According to the CWA, the studio employed 185 people at the end of last year, meaning the confirmed cuts alone account for around 73% of the workforce. Further cuts may follow in Germany, where local labour laws slow the process.
• Among those laid off was Billy Khan, the Director of Engine Technology, who joined id Software in 2010. Two lead programmers and three senior engine programmers were also let go, raising alarm about the future of the studio's proprietary id Tech engine.
• Reports initially claimed only one person remained on the core id Tech team in Texas. Xbox pushed back on that directly, with a spokesperson stating: "There are dozens of people working on id Tech across multiple locations. Reports that there's only one person left in Texas are inaccurate."
• Despite the reassurances, Xbox declined to confirm any future projects. Sources told Kotaku that nothing was currently greenlit at id Software, though pitches for multiplayer DLC for Doom: The Dark Ages and a non-Doom game were floating around before the cuts landed.
• Former and current employees told GamesBeat the layoffs hit when id Software was actively brainstorming new games, including a next entry in the Perfect Dark universe, a John Wick-style action game codenamed Fury, a robot Western codenamed Ironwood, and a new multiplayer or co-op Doom. Fury has since been shelved; the status of the others remains unclear.
• Staff also told GamesBeat that a core issue plaguing the studio was unclear direction from Microsoft: id Software reportedly did not know whether the company wanted it to prioritise high game sales, Game Pass engagement, or engine technology development. Had the studio known revenue was the focus, Doom: The Dark Ages would likely have included multiplayer.