DOOM Director Elaborates On The State Of The Studio Going Forward
Image: DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations Overview with Hugo Martin (4K)

Last week, we highlighted an official statement from DOOM developer id Software about what to expect from the studio following the Xbox layoffs, with the company insisting that it still has "the crew we need to build the games and tech we're known for", and that it's now back down to around the size that it was in the DOOM 2016 days.

DOOM director Hugo Martin has elaborated on this in a new livestream this week, explaining that the id Tech engine is still "very much alive and well", and reports that the company had been "nerfed into the ground" were incorrect.

“There's been reports that we've been nerfed into the ground and gutted and we have 50 people — that's not true. We're the size we were when we made DOOM 2016, and id Tech is very much alive and well. You have to understand, we have id Tech engineers both in Frankfurt and at MachineGames; we collaborate quite a bit. So, you know, id Tech is there, the DOOM team is here, and we're excited to share with you guys more of what we're working on in the future when it is appropriate and approved.”

Martin then went on to talk about the incredible reception to the DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations expansion, which has become one of the highest-rated new video game releases of 2026.

Ultimately, he summed it up as being a situation "that helps everyone" regardless of whether they're still part of id Software or not, and in general he just seems very thankful to both the players and creators involved with it.

"The fact that we made a game that people like, and is critically and commercially successful — it's doing very well related to the forecasts and stuff — that's good for everyone. For the people at the studio, for the people that we unfortunately had to say goodbye to, I think that helps everyone. And we really appreciate your support, but what matters the most is that the games are good, and I'm so happy that people... you know... it's just a good thing for everybody."

What happens now? Well, we'll have to wait and see. Fingers crossed that Xbox doesn't see fit to remove any other roles from id Software as part of the next 1,600 cuts, as the studio has clearly done incredible work with the DOOM series in recent years (and we're hoping to see some new Quake titles from them in the future as well!).

It sounds like id Software is still in a state where it can make great games in the future, and we can't wait to find out what else the team has in store. Perhaps it'll all become more apparent by this time next year.

[source youtube.com]