id Software developer attacks Xbox leadership over sweeping Microsoft layoffs
A lead developer at id Software has accused Xbox leadership of fundamentally failing to understand art, after Microsoft layoffs reportedly cut the Doom studio's staff by half.
A lead developer at id Software, named Hays in some reports, said Xbox leadership fundamentally does not understand art, after Microsoft layoffs reportedly cut the Doom studio's staff by roughly half. He argued such cuts make large-scale games like 2016's Doom impossible to produce.
A lead developer at id Software, the studio behind Doom, has publicly attacked Xbox's leadership, saying it fundamentally does not understand art. The developer, named Hays in some reports, argued that cutting half of a studio makes it impossible to produce large-scale games like 2016's Doom, and criticised the scale of Microsoft's cuts. The remarks circulated widely in early August 2026. The layoffs at id Software are part of broader cuts by Microsoft across its Xbox gaming business. Reports suggest Xbox has cut about 1,600 people from its gaming division, with a further 1,600 job cuts reported as still to come. According to those reports, id Software is losing roughly half of its staff, and Microsoft has dismissed the studio's idTech engine team. The dispute lands at a sensitive moment for the storied studio. Id Software marked its 35th anniversary in February 2026, and workers there formed a wall-to-wall union in December 2025, according to reports. Another developer, Andrew Willis, has argued that worker-owned studios are the industry's future, calling large publishers poor stewards.
Lead developer says Xbox leadership does not understand art
A lead developer at id Software has publicly accused Xbox's leadership of fundamentally failing to understand art. The remarks, which circulated widely in early August 2026, were attributed in some reports to a developer named Hays.
The developer argued that cutting half of a studio makes it impossible to produce large-scale games, pointing to 2016's Doom as the kind of project such a gutted team could no longer deliver. He also criticised Microsoft directly for the scale of the cuts imposed on the studio.
The comments struck at the heart of the tension between creative teams and corporate ownership, framing the layoffs not as routine restructuring but as a failure to grasp what game development requires. They spread quickly across industry press and social media, drawing attention precisely because they came from inside one of Microsoft's own marquee studios. Microsoft and Xbox leadership had not publicly responded to the criticism at the time the remarks circulated.
The scale of Microsoft's cuts at id Software and Xbox
The cuts at id Software formed part of a wider retrenchment by Microsoft across its Xbox gaming business. According to reports, Xbox carried out layoffs affecting about 1,600 people across its gaming division, with a further 1,600 job cuts reported as still to come.
Within that restructuring, id Software was reported to be losing roughly half of its staff, a reduction that developers at the studio argued would make large-scale productions impossible. Reports also indicated that Microsoft dismissed the idTech engine team, the group behind the proprietary technology that has powered the studio's games. The full extent of the damage to the studio, and to the engine that underpins its work, remains unclear. Microsoft had not publicly detailed how the cuts were distributed across its studios, and the reported figures for id Software itself have not been confirmed by the company.
From Doom in 1993 to The Dark Ages: the studio's legacy
Few studios carry the weight of id Software. Its 1993 release Doom is credited with helping establish the first-person shooter genre, and the original Quake in 1996 brought fast-paced movement and action into a fully 3D game, according to reports. The studio was acquired by ZeniMax Media, as reported in June 2009, and founder John Carmack resigned from the company, as reported in November 2013.
The modern era has been prolific. Reports credit the studio with Doom in 2016, Doom Eternal in 2020 and Doom: The Dark Ages in 2025, alongside earlier work on Wolfenstein. That output, built over more than three decades, is what makes the reported scale of the current restructuring so striking to many in the industry.
id Software released Doom, a game credited with helping establish the first-person shooter genre.
id Software released the original Quake, which brought fast-paced movement and action into a fully 3D game.
id Software was acquired by ZeniMax Media.
id Software founder John Carmack resigned from the company.
id Software released a new Doom title.
A GitHub page or repository associated with the name Id Software was published or updated.
id Software released Doom Eternal.
id Software released Doom: The Dark Ages.
Workers at id Software formed a union described as wall-to-wall.
id Software marked its 35th anniversary and hinted that a significant announcement could arrive that week.
Remarks circulated widely in which a lead id Software developer, named Hays in some reports, said Xbox leadership fundamentally does not understand art and criticized the scale of Microsoft's cuts at
Unionisation and the case for worker-owned studios
The criticism of Microsoft has not been limited to the cuts themselves. In December 2025, workers at id Software formed a union described as wall-to-wall, meaning it covers staff across the studio rather than a single department, according to reports at the time.
The layoffs have also prompted broader arguments about how the industry should be structured. id Software developer Andrew Willis has argued that worker-owned studios represent the future of the games business, describing large publishers as poor stewards of the studios they control. According to reports of his remarks, Willis pointed to the recent wave of layoffs, including those at Xbox, as evidence for his case. His comments add a labour dimension to the dispute, framing the cuts not just as a creative miscalculation but as a failure of ownership.
Frequently asked questions
What did the id Software developer say about Xbox leadership?
In early August 2026, remarks circulated widely in which a lead developer at id Software, named Hays in some reports, said Xbox leadership fundamentally does not understand art. He argued that cutting half of a studio makes it impossible to produce large-scale games like 2016's Doom, and criticized Microsoft for the scale of the cuts at the studio.
How many people were laid off at id Software and Xbox?
Reports suggest id Software, the studio behind Doom, was losing roughly half of its staff amid restructuring at Xbox, and that Microsoft dismissed the idTech engine team. The layoffs were part of broader cuts by Microsoft affecting its Xbox gaming business, which reportedly cut about 1,600 people, with a further 1,600 job cuts reported as still to come.
What is id Software known for?
id Software is the studio responsible for the Doom franchise. Its 1993 Doom is credited with helping establish the first-person shooter genre, and 1996's Quake brought fast-paced action into fully 3D. It was acquired by ZeniMax Media in 2009, and founder John Carmack resigned in 2013. Recent releases include Doom (2016), Doom Eternal (2020), and Doom: The Dark Ages (2025).
Did id Software workers form a union?
Yes. According to a December 2025 report, workers at id Software formed a union described as wall-to-wall, meaning it spans the studio's workforce. The organizing came amid wider labor unrest in the games industry, and developer Andrew Willis later argued that worker-owned studios represent the industry's future, calling large publishers poor stewards in light of layoffs including those at Xbox.
What happened at id Software in February 2026?
According to reports, id Software marked its 35th anniversary as a company at the start of February 2026. The studio also hinted that a significant announcement could arrive during that week, though what the announcement was remains unknown. Months later, the studio was hit by Microsoft's Xbox restructuring, with reports suggesting it lost roughly half its staff.
Compiled from reporting by 14 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
