All articles tagged with #id software
id Software has transitioned Quake Champions from a free-to-play model to a premium $9.99 title on Steam, effective September 23, 2026. The update removes all microtransactions, loot boxes, and battle passes, granting existing players free access to the paid version. This shift follows significant layoffs at id Software and marks the end of planned content updates for the game.
id Software’s Chris Hayes says it’s “impossible” to make triple-A games like 2016’s Doom with half the staff, arguing layoffs have gutted essential departments and that leadership doesn’t understand art or the business model; the piece also notes Microsoft’s Xbox reset cutting thousands of jobs and touches on unionisation talks and Game Pass economics.
Id Software lead programmer Chris Hays says morale at the studio is at an all-time low after Xbox mass layoffs, criticizing industry executives for being out of touch with the realities of game development and noting the human impact on teams.
A Kotaku piece quotes longtime Id Software developer Chris Hays saying the wave of layoffs gutted entire departments, making it effectively impossible to craft AAA games like Doom with half the staff, and accusing Microsoft/Xbox of not understanding art or video games. He criticizes management’s talking points, questions Game Pass’s impact on sales, and notes significant studio restructures and divestitures that followed Xbox’s layoffs.
To celebrate its 30th birthday, the original Quake receives Quake: Dawn of the Machine, a free 19-map expansion with a new soundtrack and a new deathmatch map across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch (excluding Epic Games Store and GOG). Developed by id Software in collaboration with MachineGames, the expansion introduces looping, roguelike-style campaigns with persistent health/ammo upgrades, reimagined foes and weapon variants like the Super Axe and Laser Cannon. Digital Foundry praised its balance and modern enhancements, while the launch comes amid id Software's recent restructuring.
To celebrate Quake’s 30th anniversary, MachineGames and id Software released Dawn of the Machine, a free update adding 19 new maps across a cohesive looping campaign, hidden secrets, a new soundtrack, a Deathmatch map, and weapon variants like the lightning-powered Super Axe and Laser Cannon, culminating in a confrontation with The Nightmare Machine.
After Hugo Martin downplayed reports that id Software had been gutted, current and former employees say a large portion of the Doom (2016) team was cut earlier this month, challenging his optimism and signaling potential challenges for future AAA projects.
Microsoft’s Xbox-wide layoffs hit id Software hard, with 136 workers in Texas laid off as part of 3,200 Xbox roles cut. Hugo Martin says the studio isn’t gutted, but multiple insiders claim two-thirds of the Doom (2016) team were cut, triggering concerns about lost experience, crunch history, and the ability to deliver future projects.
YouTuber Civvie 11, a key voice in the boomer-shooter revival, condemns Xbox's mass layoffs—especially at id Software—arguing that Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal revived the franchise and that management's actions threaten the studio's creativity and the genre's momentum.
Id Software pushes back on claims that it was gutted by Microsoft's Xbox layoffs, saying the Doom studio is still the same size as during Doom 2016 and that id Tech remains active, with collaboration across Frankfurt and MachineGames; the report also notes ongoing Doom development, the Revelations expansion for The Dark Ages, and a new Chain Spear, all amid broader Xbox restructuring and job cuts.
Amid Xbox’s wave of 1,600 layoffs, Doom director Hugo Martin says id Software isn’t gutted and that id Tech remains active, with Doom’s team and engineers at Frankfurt collaborating with MachineGames; despite departures and protests, the studio asserts it will continue shipping AAA games and hints at Revelations DLC updates.
Microsoft laid off around 1,600 employees across Bethesda, ZeniMax and id Software after weeks of uncertainty, delivering abrupt notifications and revoking access within 48 hours; the reports depict a culture where remaining staff feel insecure about their jobs, with critics arguing it creates a “disposable worker mentality” and erodes morale and perceived value of work.
Insider Gaming reports that, despite significant layoffs at id Software, a new DOOM game is already in early development, with Tom Warren of The Verge confirming ongoing work and suggesting the series will continue with more DOOM content beyond the Revelations DLC.
id Software posted a brief statement after recent Microsoft/Xbox layoffs, insisting the core crew remains intact and capable of building the studio’s signature games and tech, with the team size at roughly what it was during Doom 2016 and a pledge to support affected staff ahead of QuakeCon this August.
John Carmack responded to Microsoft's layoffs at id Software with sadness but no anger, noting the brutal economics of the industry and suggesting id Software may have been marginal from Microsoft's view; he questioned what could have been done differently but remained hopeful the studio can rebound, while Microsoft stressed that id Tech is still developed across multiple locations and layoffs won’t end the studio's projects.