Updated
Updated · Windows Central · Jul 11
Microsoft Cuts 3,200 Jobs in Xbox Restructuring as id Software Founder Defends Business Logic
Updated
Updated · Windows Central · Jul 11

Microsoft Cuts 3,200 Jobs in Xbox Restructuring as id Software Founder Defends Business Logic

2 articles · Updated · Windows Central · Jul 11

Summary

  • More than 3,200 Microsoft employees lost their jobs in the Xbox restructuring, with id Software among the hardest-hit studios behind Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein.
  • John Carmack said he was saddened but not outraged, arguing id Software was likely only a marginal business for Microsoft and that no obvious strategy would have doubled its revenue.
  • The cuts reportedly killed id Software pitches for a Perfect Dark reboot and a John Wick-style game, but Microsoft said the studio is not being shut down.
  • Microsoft also pushed back on claims that id Tech had been gutted, saying dozens of staff still work on the engine across multiple locations.

Insights

With 70% of its developers laid off, is the legendary Doom and Quake studio effectively dead?
Can a new CEO's drastic 'reset' save Microsoft's unprofitable Xbox division from its own hardware crisis?