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BusinessQuiet 11d · day 14

id Software co-director says studio 'doing great' after half laid off before Dark Ages launch

Marty Stratton downplays concerns about Doom's future, citing closer collaboration with MachineGames on engine development.

newest coverage 11d agosummary written 12d ago6 pieces1 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodonGoogle News

What to know

  • id Software lost roughly half its workforce in Microsoft's summer restructuring, immediately before launching Doom: The Dark Ages expansion.
  • Studio co-director claims remaining team is 'incredibly viable,' directly contradicting earlier statements from veteran programmer Chris Hays that AAA production would become 'impossible' at half strength.
  • id Software and MachineGames are deepening technology partnership on shared engine development to compensate for reduced engineering capacity.
  • Microsoft has additional layoff rounds scheduled for November and January, leaving franchise viability uncertain despite management's reassurances.

“Big 'My 'incredibly viable studio' T-shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by my shirt' energy.”

Kotaku, Game journalism outlet · Kotaku ↗

Marty Stratton id Software co-directorChris Hays Veteran programmer at id Softwareid Software Game studio and Doom franchise developerMachineGames Partner studio working on Wolfenstein 3Microsoft/Xbox Parent company conducting studio restructuring

id Software co-director says studio 'doing great' after half laid off before Dark Ages launch
kotaku.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 3h at Oct 31, 9 AM; 6 pieces over 14 days (2 articles · 4 posts) Oct 31, 9 AM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 2 posts — Mastodon 2, Newswires 1Oct 31, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 31, 3 PM — quietOct 31, 6 PM — quietOct 31, 9 PM — quietNov 1, 12 AM — quietNov 1, 2 AM — quietNov 1, 5 AM — quietNov 1, 8 AM — quietNov 1, 11 AM — quietNov 1, 2 PM — quietNov 1, 5 PM — quietNov 1, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 11 PM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 5 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Nov 2, 8 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Nov 2, 11 AM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 5 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 11 PM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 5 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 11 AM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 5 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 11 PM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 5 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 11 AM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 5 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 11 PM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 5 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 11 AM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 5 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 11 PM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 5 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 11 AM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 5 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 11 PM — quietNov 7, 2 AM — quietNov 7, 5 AM — quietNov 7, 8 AM — quietNov 7, 11 AM — quietNov 7, 2 PM — quietNov 7, 5 PM — quietNov 7, 8 PM — quietNov 7, 11 PM — quietNov 8, 2 AM — quietNov 8, 5 AM — quietNov 8, 8 AM — quietNov 8, 11 AM — quietNov 8, 2 PM — quietNov 8, 5 PM — quietNov 8, 8 PM — quietNov 8, 11 PM — quietNov 9, 2 AM — quietNov 9, 5 AM — quietNov 9, 8 AM — quietNov 9, 11 AM — quietNov 9, 2 PM — quietNov 9, 5 PM — quietNov 9, 8 PM — quietNov 9, 11 PM — quietNov 10, 2 AM — quietNov 10, 5 AM — quietNov 10, 8 AM — quietNov 10, 11 AM — quietNov 10, 2 PM — quietNov 10, 5 PM — quietNov 10, 8 PM — quietNov 10, 11 PM — quietNov 11, 2 AM — quietNov 11, 5 AM — quietNov 11, 8 AM — quietNov 11, 11 AM — quietNov 11, 2 PM — quietNov 11, 5 PM — quietNov 11, 8 PM — quietNov 11, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 11 AM — quietToday, 2 PM — quietToday, 5 PM — quietToday, 8 PM — quiet 1
Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6Nov 7Nov 8Nov 9Nov 10Nov 11yesterdaynow · 10:05 PM ET
  1. 1

    Stratton announces expanded collaboration with MachineGames on engine technology

    Stratton revealed that id Software and MachineGames are intensifying technology development partnership, a path begun earlier in the year before the layoffs. Both studios' engineers are pooling efforts to support future releases.

    “We're working more closely with MachineGames than ever. We've always had a very close partnership with them, but I think we're at a point with technology development that both teams are incredibly talented and have incredibly talented engineers and we're really on an amazing path.”
    — Marty Stratton
  2. background

    Marty Stratton says id Software remains 'incredibly viable' post-layoffs — At a press event, studio co-director Marty Stratton responded to questions about the layoff impact, asserting the studio made deliberate efforts to maintain viability across game development and technology departments.

  3. background

    Veteran programmer calls post-layoff production capacity 'impossible' — Chris Hays, a veteran programmer at id Software, publicly questioned whether the studio could produce AAA games at its previous standard with half the workforce.

  4. background

    Xbox lays off roughly half of id Software — id Software, maker of the Doom franchise, underwent severe cuts as part of Microsoft's summer restructuring. The layoffs occurred just 24 hours before the studio launched its Doom: The Dark Ages expansion.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Doom Director Says ‘We’re Doing Great’ After Half Of id Software Was Laid Off

    first by Kotaku, 13d ago · also GameSpot

    1 more headline