Updated
Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 7
John Romero Warns id History Could Vanish After Xbox Layoffs Hit Doom Studio
Updated
Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 7

John Romero Warns id History Could Vanish After Xbox Layoffs Hit Doom Studio

3 articles · Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 7

Summary

  • John Romero called Xbox’s division-wide layoffs at id Software a “disaster,” saying staff were hit just as the Doom studio launches The Dark Ages DLC.
  • Romero used the cuts to spotlight preservation risks, saying he has archived id’s complete early history through Aug. 6, 1996, including materials he believes the company no longer has.
  • His Bluesky post paired sympathy for affected developers with praise for id’s later Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein work, arguing the studio’s code, assets, stories and people all need safeguarding.
  • The comments land amid rumors id Tech could disappear and after Romero Games faced its own layoffs about a year ago, reinforcing his view that the industry is in a crash worse than the 1980s.

Insights

John Romero is saving id Software's past. Who will save the future of other studios facing similar corporate upheavals?
With half its legendary team gone, can id Software's creative spark survive Xbox's focus on its 'Biggest Franchises'?
Game industry layoffs are rampant, yet developer jobs are at a record high. What is the truth about AI's real impact?