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id Software Legend: “Xbox Fundamentally Misunderstands Art & Games”
id Software Veteran Speaks Out: Why Making Doom Is "Impossible" After Xbox Layoffs
TL;DR: A 15-year veteran at the studio behind Doom says Microsoft’s recent layoffs have gutted the team, making it impossible to create another AAA game like Doom (2016). He also criticizes Xbox leadership for not understanding game development or the Game Pass business model.
What Happened at id Software?
In July 2024, Xbox (which owns Bethesda, which owns id Software) announced massive layoffs—1,600 people immediately, with another 1,600 coming by year’s end. That’s about 20% of Xbox’s entire workforce.
Chris Hays, id Software’s lead services programmer (he’s been there over 15 years and worked on Doom Eternal and the upcoming Doom: The Dark Ages), went on the Well Played podcast and did not hold back.
The Core Problem: "Half the Team, Same Expectations"
Xbox’s Claim
"id Software is still the same size it was when we made Doom (2016), so we can do it again."
Chris Hays’ Reality Check
"It is hard to make a game that is AAA that’s like we’ve done before with half the people. And by hard I mean impossible."
Here’s why the math doesn’t add up:
- Entire departments were gutted — disciplines that are essential for making a Doom game are simply gone
- "Close to the same size" actually means "less" — Hays confirms the studio is smaller than Doom (2016) credits would show
- Team cohesion was the secret sauce — the way teams worked together made the magic happen. You can’t just keep "key people" and expect the same results
The "Talking Points" Problem
Hays reveals that id management was given scripts by Xbox leadership:
| What Xbox Wants Devs to Hear | What Hays Says Is Actually True |
|---|---|
| "Everything is fine!" | "We’re not the same id. We’re half the same id." |
| "The studio has a bright future!" | "They’re just trying to stop more people from quitting." |
| "We’re the size of Doom 2016!" | "They say ‘close to’ because it’s actually less." |
Important Point: This isn’t just complaining—it’s a 15-year insider saying the institutional knowledge and team structure that made Doom possible no longer exists.
The Game Pass Conflict
Here’s a twist: id Software games launch day-one on Game Pass (because Microsoft → Bethesda → id). But Hays says Xbox still criticizes Bethesda’s "poor sales numbers."
The Disconnect (Explained Simply)
Imagine this: You run a bakery. You start a "Bread Pass"—customers pay monthly and get all the bread they want. You stop selling individual loaves. Then your boss yells at you: "Why aren’t you selling more loaves?!"
That’s what Hays is describing:
- Game Pass = subscription model (access, not ownership)
- Xbox measures success by "games sold" (old model)
- Of course "sales" are down—nobody buys the game anymore, they subscribe to it
- Xbox seems to not understand their own business model
The Big Picture: Xbox’s "Most Significant Restructure in History"
- July 2024: 1,600 layoffs announced by new Xbox boss Asha Sharma
- By end of 2024: Another 1,600 layoffs planned
- Total impact: ~20% of Xbox’s workforce
- Studios affected: Double Fine and Compulsion Games were divested (spun off/sold)
- Sharma’s own words: "The most significant restructure in Xbox history"
Why This Matters for Gamers
- Fewer people = longer development times or smaller games
- Institutional knowledge lost — 15-year veterans leaving means hard-won lessons leave with them
- Game Pass sustainability questions — if the owner of Game Pass doesn’t understand its own metrics, what does that mean for the service?
- Creative risk — Doom: The Dark Ages is already in development, but future projects are uncertain
Summary
| Key Takeaway | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| id Software is roughly half the size it was for Doom (2016) | AAA games need large, coordinated teams |
| Entire disciplines were cut | You can’t make a modern shooter without animators, engineers, artists, etc. |
| Management was given "talking points" | Suggests leadership is managing perception, not reality |
| Game Pass creates a measurement paradox | Xbox judges studios by "sales" in a subscription model where sales don’t happen |
| Hays says Xbox "doesn’t understand art or video games" | Cutting teams without understanding how they work together breaks the creative process |
FAQ
Who is Chris Hays and why should I listen to him?
He’s the lead services programmer at id Software with 15+ years at the studio. He worked on Doom Eternal and Doom: The Dark Ages. This isn’t a random opinion—it’s someone who builds the actual technology behind these games.
Didn’t Xbox say id Software is the same size as Doom 2016?
Yes, but Hays directly contradicts this: "There is a reason they say close to, because it is less." The credits for Doom (2016) tell the real story—many of those names are gone.
What does "gutted entire departments" mean?
It means whole job categories (like specific engineering roles, animation teams, tools programmers, etc.) were eliminated. You can’t just "work harder" to replace a missing discipline.
How does Game Pass affect game sales numbers?
Game Pass subscribers don’t buy games—they pay a monthly fee for access. So "copies sold" drops to near zero for Xbox first-party games. Judging a studio by "sales" in this model is like judging Netflix by "DVDs sold."
What happens to Doom: The Dark Ages?
It’s already in development and likely far along. The concern is what comes after—and whether the remaining team can sustain the quality id is known for.
Final Thought: Making a Doom game isn’t just about having "the right people"—it’s about how those people work together. As Hays puts it: "You don’t understand the cohesion between our teams was a part of what made it successful."
