The week that should have marked a triumph for Doom developer id Software has instead been marred by heavy job cuts, even as the studio launched Revelations, a substantial expansion for Doom: The Dark Ages. The article argues that the timing is bitterly ironic, because Revelations demonstrates precisely the qualities that have made id one of gaming's most distinctive studios. The expansion adds a powerful new weapon and further demonic levels, refining the fast-paced, unrelenting shooter formula that has defined modern Doom.

The layoffs came as part of Xbox's mass redundancies and strategic "reset", with figures varying by source: GamesBeat reports at least 92 of 185 full-time staff (around half the studio) were cut, while a Texas WARN notice cited 96 losses at the Richardson office plus 40 remote workers. Sources told Kotaku the team behind id's proprietary id Tech engine may be down to a single employee. Revelations itself trims some of The Dark Ages' extraneous features and introduces a versatile new spear for The Slayer, alongside returning enemies, arena battles and a driving metal soundtrack. The studio's future is uncertain, with reported ideas including a multiplayer or co-op Doom, a John Wick-style game and a new Perfect Dark, though any such project would now begin from a weakened position.