id Software’s Lead Developer Raises Concerns Over Studio Cuts: “Impossible” to Make AAA Games With Half the Team
In the wake of recent layoffs executed by Microsoft, a senior developer at id Software has voiced serious concerns over the studio’s severe understaffing, warning that delivering ambitious projects akin to previous Doom entries is now at risk.
Mass Layoffs Put AAA Development in Jeopardy, Developer Says
Appearing on the Well Played podcast with host Andre Peschke, Chris Hayes—lead services provider at id Software—provided a frank account during a roughly 90-minute conversation. Hayes recounted how the Texas-based studio was affected by a sweeping round of layoffs, outlining the situation that precipitated these cuts and shedding light on the growing momentum for unionizing within the workforce.
Hayes reported that Microsoft’s move to dismiss half of id Software’s employees has drastically undermined the studio’s production capabilities. “It is hard to make a game that is triple-A, that is like we’ve done before, with half the people. And by hard I mean impossible,” he stated, emphasizing that numerous entire teams and specialized roles essential to the development of polished AAA games no longer remain.
This reduction at id Software is just one piece of a broader restructuring. Microsoft announced an “Xbox reset” last month, eliminating 3,200 positions, with immediate terminations for 1,600 employees and additional cuts to follow. These workforce reductions extended beyond id Software, touching many other Microsoft and Bethesda studios as well.
Union Drives and Employee Morale After Cuts
After the cuts, Hayes described management’s attempts to reassure the studio’s staff, repeatedly insisting that “we are still the same id”—including public statements defending the company’s essence after the changes. Hayes strongly contested this position, arguing, “We’re not the same id. We’re half the same id.” He suggested these messages are aimed at discouraging remaining employees from seeking jobs elsewhere, and speculated that Microsoft provided these retention scripts to all studio leadership for consistency.
During the podcast, host Andre Peschke also questioned the claim that the studio’s staff size matches past production levels, such as during the development of Doom (2016). Hayes clarified, “There’s a reason they say ‘close to,’ because it is less.” Referring to the end credits of Doom 2016, he noted the list of contributors was much longer than the current headcount at the studio.
Game Pass Model Raises New Questions
Hayes and Peschke also examined what Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription offering, means for the business side of game development. Hayes wondered how developers’ game “sales” are evaluated when their titles are included on Game Pass, asking, “Whenever we see the financial reports that say there were poor sales under Bethesda. Like, what’s a sale if you have Game Pass? Are you saying poor sales means a poor number of games sold? Of course – you aren’t doing a games-sold business model.” His comments cast doubt on whether traditional sales figures remain relevant for studios relying on the subscription format.
Having experienced firsthand the disruption from layoffs, Hayes expressed concern that those making such decisions may lack insight into the creative, technical, and business aspects of games: “They don’t understand art, they don’t understand games, they don’t understand the business model.” He argued that slashing the team in half shows a lack of understanding of the factors—including strong team collaboration—that historically contributed to id Software’s achievements with titles like Doom.
Uncertain Path Ahead for id Software
With a substantial share of its workforce gone, id Software’s ability to develop major titles remains in doubt. Hayes’s remarks highlight the significant obstacles now facing game developers at companies coping with mass tech layoffs, as leaders and remaining staff try to chart a path forward for ambitious project development while operating with dramatically reduced teams.