Legendary Game Doom is Losing 50% of Its Staff

Doom developer id Software has reportedly laid off around half of its workforce as part of Microsoft’s wider restructuring of the Xbox business.

Multiple sources told Game Developer that the cuts affected approximately 50% of the Texas-based studio. One source estimated that more than 90 employees had lost their jobs.

Layoffs Remain Unconfirmed

Neither Microsoft nor id Software has formally confirmed the number of affected employees.

However, former id Software employee Michael Maynard supported the reported 50% figure in a LinkedIn post. It remains unclear which teams and departments suffered the largest reductions.

Reports indicate that the quality-assurance department was among the areas heavily affected by the layoffs.

Xbox Restructure Continues

The cuts form part of Microsoft’s major overhaul of Xbox and its game-development operations.

Microsoft immediately eliminated around 1,600 Xbox positions when it announced the restructuring. The company plans to remove another 1,600 roles during the remainder of its fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2027.

The total planned reductions across Xbox amount to approximately 3,200 positions. Microsoft’s broader company-wide restructuring affects 4,800 employees.

Focus on Major Franchises

ZeniMax Media, id Software’s parent company under Microsoft, is reportedly shifting its attention toward its largest gaming franchises.

These include Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout and Wolfenstein. The decision to concentrate resources on major properties may have contributed to the layoffs, although Microsoft has not provided a specific explanation for the cuts at id Software.

The reductions are particularly notable because id Software already appears heavily focused on the Doom franchise.

The studio released Doom: The Dark Ages in 2025. Its new Revelations campaign expansion launched on July 7, 2026, the same day reports of the layoffs emerged.

The reported loss of around half of id Software’s workforce shows that Microsoft’s Xbox restructuring is affecting even studios responsible for some of its most established franchises.