Doom Developer id Software Is Reportedly Losing Half Its Staff in Microsoft Layoffs

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

id Software, the legendary developer behind Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein, is reportedly laying off approximately 50 percent of its staff as part of Microsoft’s massive Xbox restructuring. The cuts could mean around 90 job losses at the historic studio.

id Software, the studio that defined the first-person shooter genre, is reportedly losing half its staff in Microsoft’s latest wave of Xbox layoffs. (Image: EsaRiutta / Pixabay)

The Scale of the Cuts

According to a report from Game Developer, the layoffs at id Software are part of the broader mass layoffs Microsoft announced on Monday, which are primarily centered on Xbox and its game studios. While neither Microsoft nor id Software have formally acknowledged the cuts, former id Software staff member Michael Maynard has corroborated the 50 percent figure on LinkedIn. Sources cited by Game Developer suggest that could translate to roughly 90 employees.

Union Impact

id Software is one of several Xbox studios that unionized with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The studio’s “wall-to-wall” union was recognized in 2025 under Microsoft’s labor neutrality agreement with the CWA. However, staff have yet to reach a first contract with the company.

In a statement responding to the Xbox layoffs, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. accused Microsoft of having “slow-walked union members at the bargaining table,” preventing them from accessing the protections of a union contract. Mike Davis, Vice President of CWA District 2-13, said the union would demand “immediate bargaining” over fair severance and other conditions.

Broader Xbox Restructuring

As Bloomberg reported, the “reset” at Xbox includes a strategic refocus at ZeniMax Media — id Software’s parent company — on its biggest franchises: The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, and Doom. Ironically, id Software already appears heavily focused on that strategy. The studio launched Doom: The Dark Ages in 2025 and released an expansion for the game on July 7, 2026, the very day these layoffs were reported.

What Comes Next

The cuts at id Software are just one piece of a much larger downsizing. Microsoft eliminated 1,600 roles alongside the restructuring announcement and plans to lay off another 1,600 employees over the coming months. For id Software — a studio that defined the first-person shooter genre and remains one of Xbox’s most recognizable development teams — the loss of half its workforce raises serious questions about its upcoming projects and long-term future within the Microsoft gaming ecosystem.

Doom on Know the Tech

Doom Developer id Software Is Reportedly Losing Half Its Staff in Microsoft Layoffs

The Scale of the Cuts

Union Impact

Broader Xbox Restructuring

What Comes Next