id Software creative director Hugo Martin has pushed back on reports that the Doom developer has been devastated by recent Xbox layoffs, insisting the studio remains fully capable of making "great games." Speaking during a livestream, Martin rejected claims the studio had been "nerfed into the ground" or reduced to around 50 staff, and said id Software is now at the same size it was when it made the acclaimed 2016 Doom reboot. The comments matter because they follow genuine cuts at the historic studio amid a wider, ongoing wave of layoffs across Microsoft's gaming division.

A WARN notice filed in Texas confirmed 96 job losses at id Software's Richardson headquarters plus 40 remote roles, thought to be around half the studio's staff, as part of new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's "reset" that has already cost 1,600 jobs, with another 1,600 planned this financial year. Martin also defended the id Tech engine's future, saying engineers remain active in Frankfurt and at MachineGames, and claimed Doom: The Dark Ages is performing well commercially. The remarks come as affected workers, backed by the Communications Workers of America union, staged "Save our Devs" rallies outside Bethesda offices, while id Software co-founders John Romero and John Carmack have both spoken out in support of laid-off staff.