id Software layoffs raise fears over DOOM studio’s future as multiple projects reportedly face uncertainty

id Software may have been hit far harder by Xbox’s latest layoffs than first expected, with new figures suggesting the DOOM developer could have lost around 73.5 percent of its staff. If accurate, the cuts would leave one of gaming’s most important first person shooter studios with fewer than 50 employees, creating major doubts about its ability to continue making large scale games on its own.

The reported numbers come from a Texas WARN notice tied to ZeniMax Media. The filing lists 158 layoffs in the state, including 22 employees from Bethesda Game Studios Austin and 136 from id Software. Of the id Software cuts, 96 were reportedly based at the studio’s Richardson headquarters, while the rest were remote workers.

That figure is especially serious because id Software reportedly had around 185 employees in December 2025, when the studio announced its wall to wall union. Losing 136 workers from a team of that size would be a major restructuring rather than a normal round of cuts. It would also explain why fans are worried that id Software could be pushed into a smaller support role rather than remain a full lead development studio.

Several reported id Software projects may now be unlikely to move forward

An update from GamesBeat added more detail about what id Software was reportedly exploring before the layoffs. The studio was said to be working on or considering several projects, including more DOOM content, a new original game called Fury, a possible Perfect Dark pitch, and a Western style robot survival game called Ironwood.

Fury was reportedly an original idea from Hugo Martin, mixing science fiction, noir themes, gunplay, and martial arts in a John Wick style action concept. Ironwood was described as a Westworld like robot survival project. id Software was also reportedly preparing a new Perfect Dark pitch, with concept art already being explored.

The cuts are worrying because id Software was not a struggling studio in the usual sense. The modern DOOM trilogy was well received, and DOOM Eternal remains one of the best examples of fast, polished shooter design. DOOM: The Dark Ages may have faced a different sales picture because it launched on Game Pass on day one, but that business decision sits above the studio itself.

The concern now is whether id Software could follow the path of Turn 10, which was heavily reduced after earlier Xbox layoffs and became more of a support studio for Playground Games. In id Software’s case, one possible outcome discussed in the report is that the studio could support MachineGames, which already works with major Bethesda properties such as Wolfenstein.

That would be a major shift. id Software is not only the studio behind DOOM and Quake. It helped define the first person shooter genre and built a reputation around tight combat, strong engine technology, and technical excellence. Reducing it to a support team would mark a significant loss for Xbox’s creative and technical portfolio.

There is still some uncertainty. Neither Xbox nor id Software has given a full public explanation of the studio’s future structure in this report. Later messaging from id Software has tried to reassure players that the studio still has enough people to build games and technology, but the reported WARN numbers still show a serious reduction.

If the layoffs are as deep as reported, the future of id Software will depend on how Xbox rebuilds or reorganizes the remaining team. The studio may still contribute to DOOM, Wolfenstein, or other Bethesda projects, but its ability to pursue multiple original ideas now looks far more limited.

For fans, the fear is simple. DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations may represent the end of an era for id Software as a full sized lead developer. The studio may continue, but the version of id that produced the modern DOOM games appears to have been dramatically changed by Xbox’s latest cuts.