Laid off id Software developer says crunch on Doom: The Dark Ages’ Revelations DLC was “brutal” with up to 17-hour days
Former id Software producer Andrew Willis has revealed that developers faced grueling working conditions while developing Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations, an expansion-sized DLC released in July. Willis described the crunch period as “brutal” and the “worst crunch” in the series’ history, with the team working a minimum of 12 hours daily for two months, with some days extending to 17 hours.
The developer’s sacrifice proved particularly cruel given the timing. Just as the Revelations DLC launched in July, Microsoft announced sweeping layoffs affecting 3,200 staff across its gaming division. The cuts impacted nearly the entire Xbox studio portfolio, including id Software, with 136 staff members let go. Many of the developers who spent weeks crunching to meet the release deadline were among those laid off immediately after the expansion shipped.
Willis highlighted the personal toll of the intensive development period, noting there were days he didn’t see his son due to work demands. He also emphasized that scope creep contributed to the extended timeline, with additional content being added throughout development that extended work requirements. According to Willis, the majority of the DLC was completed within a compressed three to four-month window despite these ongoing additions.
The situation underscores ongoing tensions within the gaming industry regarding crunch culture and job security. While Revelations was received positively as a substantial addition that addressed many criticisms of the base game, the human cost to its creation and the subsequent dismissal of those responsible raises questions about industry practices and developer welfare.
Sources
- Laid off id Software developer says crunch on Doom: The Dark Ages’ Revelations DLC was “brutal” with up to 17-hour days
- The majority of Doom: The Dark Ages’ DLC got made ‘in three or four months’
- Former id Software producer says the team faced the ‘worst crunch’ in the series’ history on Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations: ‘There were days where I didn’t see my son’