Xbox’s recent mass layoffs have been tragic for several developers, including Obsidian Entertainment, Bethesda, and ZeniMax Online Studios, especially since there’s more coming in the next 12 months. However, perhaps the most baffling are those surrounding id Software, which was reportedly gutted.
It’s all the more bizarre considering how well DOOM: The Dark Ages was received last year. While some reports claimed that it’s little more than a support studio – including that only a single person remained to work on id Tech – id Software confirmed that it was now “about the same size” as when it developed DOOM (2016).
And while the layoffs have been significant, The Verge’s Tom Warren reports that it hasn’t turned into a support studio. Interestingly, it’s allegedly in the “early stages” of a new Doom game, though you have to wonder what form that could take.
Given the way that The Dark Ages and its recent expansion, Revelations, ended, there’s still room to explore the story of the Slayer, especially leading up to the events of the first game. It may also surprise everyone and return to making a more old-school Doom experience in the vein of the original games. Time will tell, but for now, even if it’s in a diminished form, id Software is still around.
