John Carmack reacts to Id Software’s 136 layoffs

Id Software filed a WARN notice in Texas to eliminate 136 positions, about half the studio’s staff. The notice was disclosed as the studio released new downloadable content for Doom: The Dark Ages and is part of broader layoffs across Microsoft and Xbox studios.

Co-founder John Carmack posted on X that he was ‘saddened, but can’t muster anger or outrage over it.’ He acknowledged that his earlier comment that ‘Microsoft will probably be a good steward of the brand’ ‘isn’t aging well.’

Carmack wrote he suspected Id Software was a marginal business from Microsoft’s perspective and that revenues from Minecraft have supported other studios. He wrote, ‘To continue being produced long term, games need to succeed, not just be beloved,’ and described competition for players’ time and money as ‘brutal.’

He asked whether different pricing, faster or cheaper development, more cost-effective marketing to reach more players, or deliberate changes to game design could have increased revenue. He wrote he did not know whether any of those options would have doubled Id’s revenue.

Id Software created Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake. The 2016 Doom reboot received praise for blending classic and modern shooter elements. Doom: The Dark Ages introduced a slower, more methodical Doom Slayer that divided players. The Revelations DLC aimed to balance those styles but was released after the layoffs were disclosed.

On the topic of ownership, Carmack wrote he is certain the Doom intellectual property is worth ‘substantially more than my personal net worth’ and that he would not be the right person to reclaim it. He offered a ‘$1M guarantee to allow Team Beef to commercialize the legacy open source games on VR.’

The layoffs reduce the workforce at a studio with decades of influence in first-person shooters. Carmack wrote he hopes the studio ‘rallies through.’