Microsoft's latest Xbox restructuring has delivered precisely the sort of measured disappointment one has come to expect from these filings. id Software lost 136 positions—96 in its Richardson, Texas office plus 40 remote roles reporting there—per the Texas Workforce Commission WARN notice, confirming reports that roughly half the studio was affected amid the division-wide elimination of 3,200 roles.

Co-founder John Carmack posted that his earlier comment on Microsoft as a good steward of the brand is not aging particularly well and that the cuts will dampen the mood at the upcoming QuakeCon founder reunion, though he could not summon anger or outrage, suspecting id had been a marginal business for the parent company and that Minecraft revenues were subsidizing other studios.

The timing aligns with the recent launch of Doom: The Dark Ages DLC and prior reports of the studio exploring new projects including a Perfect Dark title and multiplayer concepts. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma framed the broader cuts as addressing an unhealthy business and redundant layers, with the reductions spanning the current fiscal year and into 2027.