- More than 60% of the remaining Doom 2016 developers have reportedly departed id Software following Xbox layoffs.
- Anonymous developers have expressed their grievances with studio lead Hugo Martin following his latest comments.
- The developers have also discussed crunch during this title’s development.
Microsoft’s latest round of Xbox layoffs continues to draw scrutiny, particularly over the impact on id Software. The veteran studio recently shipped Doom: The Dark Ages, but its workforce was reportedly hit hard despite the game’s positive critical reception.
Although studio head Hugo Martin was quick to assure fans that the team would still produce beloved titles, a new report suggests two-thirds of Doom 2016 developers have been laid off.
Why it matters: Doom 2016 marked a major return to form for the IP and laid the foundation for Doom Eternal and The Dark Ages. Losing developers with experience across that modern trilogy could affect the studio in the long run.
Game Developer now reports that 66% of the Doom 2016 team has been fired. As mentioned earlier, Doom director Hugo Martin previously pushed back against suggestions that id Software had been impacted too much.
However, the report suggests that current and former employees disagree with that optimistic assessment. Many employees have also highlighted that Doom 2016 required crunch and overtime on the developers’ part.
I don’t agree with Hugo’s statement, and many who were laid off were upset by those comments.
-Anonymous Developers
As a reminder, past reports from similar sources suggested that id Software lost decades of accumulated development knowledge.
The situation is surprising because the layoffs came around the launch period for Doom: The Dark Ages’ DLC. This DLC is also being received quite well by the fans, making the situation all the more disappointing.
Anyhow, id Software’s future hangs in the balance for new. Reports state that work on a brand new Doom title is underway, but it will be interesting to see whether the team continues to produce high quality games moving forward.
What do you think these layoffs could mean for the future of Doom and id Software? Let us know in the comments below.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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