{"rewrite":{"id":"r_5e8e6176652bc179caaa7ead","clusterId":"c_f9763ce150c2658f3042a03d","slug":"id-software-s-id-tech-team-down-to-one-person-after-layoffs-report-says","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"id Software's In-House Engine Team Reportedly Reduced to One Person Amid Xbox Layoffs","summary":"Microsoft's company-wide layoffs on July 6, 2026, cut approximately 4,800 employees, including 1,600 in the Xbox division. id Software, the Texas-based studio behind DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein, was hit hard: 96 of the 158 Texas layoffs from ZeniMax Media were id Software employees, and an additional 40 remote staff were let go. According to a Kotaku report citing sources, the id Tech engine team at id Software's Texas office now has only one person left. The studio responded with a statement on July 10 that its current team size is roughly the same as during the development of DOOM (2016) and that it will continue making games and technology. id Software also confirmed that QuakeCon, scheduled for August 6-9, 2026, will proceed as planned. Founders John Romero and John Carmack commented on the cuts, with Carmack suggesting id Software may have been a 'marginal business' to Microsoft. The fate of the id Tech engine, which has powered the studio's releases since DOOM and been licensed to other games like Call of Duty, remains uncertain.","whyItMatters":"The reported decimation of the team behind id Tech, a historically significant game engine, raises questions about the long-term viability of the technology that has defined id Software's identity and been licensed to other major studios.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eAccording to Kotaku, citing sources, only one member of the id Tech team at id Software\u0026#39;s Texas office remains after the layoffs. A source told Kotaku, \u0026#39;id Tech as a technology is probably dead forever.\u0026#39; The studio also has a Frankfurt, Germany office that handles technology development, including id Tech maintenance, and may continue engine work there, but it is unclear whether it will take over the Texas team\u0026#39;s duties.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eid Software\u0026#39;s statement, issued on July 10, acknowledged the reorganization but said it was distributed across teams and that the staff necessary to continue creating games and technology remain. The statement noted the current team size is comparable to the development period of DOOM (2016) and emphasized that QuakeCon 2026 is still on. The layoffs also affected other Bethesda studios: Obsidian Entertainment lost about a quarter of its staff, and The Elder Scrolls Online is reviewing its roadmap after the cuts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLong-time veterans publicly laid off include senior gameplay system programmer Michael Maynard, who had 21 years at the company, and principal VFX artist Derek Best. The Xbox division has announced plans to lay off approximately another 1,600 people during this fiscal year, which could affect id Software\u0026#39;s Frankfurt studio as well.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"According to Kotaku, a source said 'id Tech as a technology is probably dead forever' after id Software's Texas engine team was reduced to one person amid Xbox layoffs.","twitterPost":"id Software says its team is still the size of the DOOM (2016) era, but Kotaku reports the id Tech engine team in Texas is down to one person. The Frankfurt studio may pick up the work.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Microsoft's July 6 layoffs hit id Software hard, with Kotaku reporting that the id Tech engine team at the Texas office is down to a single person. id Software responded that its team is still the size of the DOOM (2016) era and that it will continue making games and technology. Founders John Romero and John Carmack also weighed in on the cuts.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260710-454353/\",\"title\":\"Veteran id Software, Creator of 'DOOM,' Reportedly Left with Only One Person in Its In-House Engine Team at Headquarters: Xbox Massive Layoffs Leave Scars on 'Technical Side'\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/11/169131.html\",\"title\":\"id Software, reported to have drastically reduced employees, states 'We will continue to make games and technology.' Team size is roughly the same as during the development of DOOM (2016).\"},{\"source\":\"GameBusiness.jp\",\"url\":\"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/07/11/27440.html\",\"title\":\"id Software, reported to have drastically reduced employees, states 'We will continue to make games and technology.' Team size is roughly the same as during the development of DOOM (2016).\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":8267,"outputTokens":2735,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783668701,"createdAt":"2026-07-10T07:23:46.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-10T07:27:29.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-11T13:08:45.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_f9763ce150c2658f3042a03d","canonicalTitle":"『DOOM』を生んだ老舗id Software、本部の内製エンジン担当チームに“1人しか残ってない”と報じられる。XBOX大規模レイオフで「技術面」にも爪痕","representativeArticleId":"a_219410a011d70d524a216aca","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[\"id Software\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-10T05:30:25.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-11T11:15:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-11T13:08:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260710-454353/","title":"『DOOM』を生んだ老舗id Software、本部の内製エンジン担当チームに“1人しか残ってない”と報じられる。XBOX大規模レイオフで「技術面」にも爪痕"},{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/07/11/27440.html","title":"従業員激減が伝えられたid Software、「今後もゲームと技術を作り続ける」と表明。チーム規模は『DOOM (2016)』開発当時とほぼ同じ"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/11/169131.html","title":"従業員激減が伝えられたid Software、「今後もゲームと技術を作り続ける」と表明。チーム規模は『DOOM (2016)』開発当時とほぼ同じ"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":["id Software"],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Microsoft laid off approximately 4,800 employees on July 6, 2026, including 1,600 in the Xbox division.","id Software's Texas office lost 96 employees out of 158 ZeniMax layoffs in Texas, plus 40 remote staff.","According to Kotaku, only one member of the id Tech engine team at id Software's Texas office remains.","id Software issued a statement that its current team size is roughly the same as during the development of DOOM (2016) and that it will continue making games and technology."]}