No, Doom maker id Software hasn’t been “nerfed into the ground and gutted” by the Xbox cuts, insists director Hugo Martin

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No, Doom maker id Software hasn’t been “nerfed into the ground and gutted” by the Xbox cuts, insists director Hugo Martin

Eurogamer · 4 hours ago

Microsoft's recent Xbox restructuring resulted in id Software losing approximately 130 of its 185 employees, reducing the studio to around 49 staff members. Former employees characterised the cuts as severe, sparking fears that the studio would become primarily a support operation rather than an independent developer capable of producing major titles. Concerns also emerged regarding the future of id Tech, the studio's proprietary game engine.

Director Hugo Martin responded by stating the remaining team is comparable in size to the workforce that created Doom 2016, and emphasised that id Tech engineers remain distributed across multiple locations including Frankfurt and MachineGames, with collaboration ongoing. However, industry observers noted that development budgets and production scope have expanded considerably since 2016, raising questions about whether a similarly-sized team can produce a Doom title meeting contemporary expectations and standards.

  • Microsoft's Xbox restructuring cut id Software from 185 to 49 employees, described by staff as devastating and raising concerns about the studio's independence and future capabilities.
  • Studio leadership insists the team size matches Doom 2016 production levels and that the proprietary id Tech engine remains operational, though observers question whether current resources meet modern development standards.
  • Further Xbox layoffs totalling 1,600 positions are planned through mid-2027, with ongoing uncertainty about affected studios' long-term viability.

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