- Microsoft laid off the team behind Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations a day before the DLC launched.
- Sources close to id Software questioned this decision, saying working for the company has no benefits.
- Revelations has gone on to become one of the highest-rated releases of 2026.
Xbox has been under scrutiny from the gaming community once again after laying off over 3,000 employees recently. To make up for losses, the company has fired developers at every major studio, with even the likes of Bethesda losing a sizeable portion of its staff.
Arguably, these layoffs have affected Doom developer id Software the most, with the studio losing over half of its headcount. As it turns out, the id Tech team wasn’t the only one wiped out, as Microsoft also fired most employees who worked on the new Doom DLC.
Why it matters: Firing the entire development team behind the DLC, which then went on to become one of the most acclaimed titles of 2026, is the kind of irony that has become normal at Xbox.
As reported by Game Developer, almost all of the staff who developed the critically acclaimed Doom: The Dark Ages expansion were let go by Microsoft in its latest round of layoffs. Sources close to the company have revealed that Microsoft laid off the team a day before the Revelations DLC officially launched on July 7, 2026.
People close to id Software questioned this decision, saying that the company didn’t even wait to see how the expansion would perform. Some even went on to say that working for Microsoft has no benefits, as releasing a good product doesn’t lead to rewards; instead, developers are shown the door.
Considering how the Doom: The Dark Ages expansion has become one of the highest-rated releases of 2026 so far, this decision looks terrible in hindsight. Revelations has received an 89 Metacritic score, while also getting a favorable user score of 8.5, with praise for its fast-paced combat.
The DLC is also among the most acclaimed titles of 2026 on OpenCritic, receiving a rating of 90. Hence, when you consider how Microsoft has also vanquished the id Tech team while laying off 70% the studio, this treatment of the legendary developer isn’t smart.
Do you think id Software should have been treated this way? Do you want to see more games developed by the studio? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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