‘They Fundamentally Don’t Understand Art’ — Doom Dev Blasts Xbox After Microsoft ‘Gutted’ id Software With Layoffs
id Software, the legendary developer behind the Doom franchise, experienced significant layoffs in July when Microsoft’s Xbox division cut 136 positions from the studio. Lead services programmer Chris Hays, who has been with id Software since 2010, publicly criticized the decision in a recent interview on the podcast Auf ein Bier.
“They fundamentally don’t understand art,” Hays stated about Xbox’s handling of the situation. He emphasized the practical challenges of maintaining game development quality under such drastic cuts, saying: “It’s hard to make a game that is AAA, that’s like we’ve done before, with half the people. And by hard, I mean impossible.” Hays noted that entire departments within the studio were gutted by the layoffs.
The cuts represent a major staffing reduction for id Software, creators of acclaimed titles including Doom Eternal. Hays’ candid criticism reflects broader concerns about how major publishers manage workforce reductions and the potential impact on the studio’s ability to continue producing major releases.