The developer, who still works at the studio, claims that Microsoft simply doesn’t understand art.

More than 3,000 developers were affected by Xbox’s latest round of layoffs, and id Software is considered one of the hardest-hit companies so far. It seems that the tech giant has practically gutted the studio. In a recent interview, a current id Software developer working on DOOM addressed the layoffs and criticized Microsoft for its actions over the past few months.

On the Well Played podcast, Chris Hays, a veteran of id Software, discussed the team’s concerns about Game Pass and Xbox. He noted that the team wasn’t necessarily convinced by the claims regarding the subscription service and low sales figures. According to Hays, Game Pass practically guarantees low sales figures, so the team doesn’t appreciate it when Xbox claims that a game sold poorly. Hays also noted that id Software is currently smaller than during the development of DOOM (2016). This, he says, means that it will be quite difficult to create AAA titles on the same scale as DOOM Eternal or DOOM: The Dark Ages in the future. In his view, it’s difficult to make AAA games like the ones they used to make with half the staff they had before. And by „difficult”, he means „impossible”.

The developer claims that Microsoft’s attempts to convince the general public that everything is fine with id Software are nothing more than damage control aimed at preventing the studio’s collapse. He believes that the company itself doesn’t really understand art. These comments, of course, paint a bleak picture of id Software’s future. For a team that has released popular titles such as DOOM Eternal, this is a sad fate, especially since The Dark Ages was a solid game, particularly in technical terms.

They’re already selling its DLC, Revelations, which was released just one month ago, at half price!

Source: Tech4gamers, Steam