Microsoft Gutted id Software, Leaving Doom Devs Feeling Betrayed

Chris Hays, a lead services programmer at id Software, recently criticized Xbox and Microsoft after the layoffs that gutted his studio in July. 'They fundamentally don't understand art,' he said.

Hays expressed frustration with the decision to cut 136 staff members from the team behind Doom Eternal. He claimed it's impossible to make a game of similar quality with half the people, stating, 'It's hard to make a game that is AAA, that's like we've done before, with half the people. And by hard, I mean impossible.'

Hays noted that id Software was already impacted by layoffs in July and that the studio has lost 'less' than it did when making Doom 2016, which he emphasized was a game of similar quality to their more recent releases.

He also expressed concerns about Game Pass, saying 'they fundamentally don't understand art.' Hays believes Xbox and Microsoft are using a flawed business model that prioritizes quantity over quality. He stated, 'You're not doing a game-sold business model. They fundamentally don't understand art. They don't. They don't understand games.'