Doom: The Dark Ages maker id Software is one of the most storied game studios in Xbox’s portfolio and also one of the teams hit hardest in the latest round of 1,600 layoffs. Creative director Hugo Martin recently appeared on Twitch alongside community lead Joshua Boyle to stream the 2025 game’s new Revelations DLC and addressed the recent conversations swirling around the studio about its future under Microsoft following deep cuts that included long-time staff.
“There’s been reports that we’ve been ‘nerfed into the ground’ and ‘gutted’ and we have 50 people and that’s not true,” Martin said near the end of the live playthrough. “We’re the size we were when we made Doom 2016 and id Tech is very much alive and well. You have to understand we have id Tech engineers both in Frankfurt and at MachineGames. We collaborate quite a bit.”
He continued, “The id Tech is there, the Doom team is here, and we’re excited to share with you guys more of what we’re working on in the future when it is appropriate and approved.”
This reiterated statements Microsoft and the studio put out last week, pushing back on claims that id Software would struggle to ship another AAA game with its new staffing levels or that its best-in-class proprietary game engine, id Tech, would fall into disrepair after the studio’s Director of Engine Technology and other critical staff were laid off.
A number of staff who worked on Doom (2016) were also part of the cuts. Those included Mission Design Director Jerry Keehan, who joined id Software back in 2003 and had been working on the franchise since Doom 3. Some laid-off employees continue to reject the notion that the studio remains up to the same level of resources and veteran staff that it was at a decade ago.
During today’s Slayer stream, Martin teased possible updates and balance changes that might come to the Revelations DLC in the future. In the meantime, he called it a tribute to the work of everyone still at id Software, as well as those recently laid off.
“Look, the fact that we made a game that people like and is critical and commercially successful–like I said, it’s doing very well related to the forecast and stuff–that’s good for everyone, for the people at the studio, for the people who, unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to, I think that helps everyone and we really appreciate your support,” he said. “But what matters the most is that the the games are good and I’m so happy that people, I don’t know… It’s just a good thing for everybody, it’s going to help. So we are really here to just play the game now and celebrate the work.”
Laid-off id Software employees were among those who picketed outside their former office today to protest Xbox’s latest cuts. They are represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which on Thursday filed labor complaints against Microsoft for refusing to negotiate with the union prior to laying off hundreds of game developers.