id Software Dev Slams Xbox Over Brutal Layoffs: 'They Don't Understand Art'
id Software, developer of Doom Eternal and other iconic first-person shooter games, has been hit hard by Microsoft's restructuring plans. The studio laid off 136 staff in July, with lead services programmer Chris Hays speaking out against Xbox's handling of the situation.
'They fundamentally don't understand art,' Hays said in an interview. He claimed that id's overseers at Microsoft and Xbox are trying to minimize unrest among employees by giving them talking points on what can and cannot be said about the layoffs.
Hays also expressed concerns about the impact of Game Pass on game development, stating that 'you're not doing a game-sold business model.' He questioned how Game Pass's revenue model works, saying it doesn't account for sales figures.
id Software has a long history in gaming and was instrumental in creating Doom: The Dark Ages. However, with the layoffs, the studio is now operating at half its previous size, making it challenging to create games of similar quality.