An id Software lead has criticised Microsoft’s Xbox management following major job cuts, saying repeated restructuring has left developers with little incentive to care about their work. The comments highlight concerns that layoffs are damaging morale, institutional knowledge and the ability of Xbox studios to make large-scale games.

Microsoft has eliminated 1,600 Xbox roles and plans to cut a further 1,600 during the 2027 financial year, for about 3,200 in total. Id Software reportedly lost roughly half its staff, with 136 jobs cut; lead services programmer Chris Hays said missing specialist teams could make it difficult to maintain the studio’s engine, infrastructure and production capacity.