The news of mass layoffs at id Software, famed developer of Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein 3D is quite a blow. I’ve enjoyed their work for over 30 years. Seeing the gaming industry chew up and spit out a studio with such a pedrigree is a shame. I’m going to throw out a lot of “gaming” terms and vernacular without explaining things. I’ll leave it to you, the reader to figure it out.
I’ve played games from id Software since I was a child back when monitors were boxy in shape. I’d play on my cousin’s PC. He’d turn on the God Mode cheat, and I’d run around mowing down zombies and imps with a chainsaw. It opened my eyes to computing as a whole. Gaming was the introduction to something influential in my life and Doom was at the center of that. Hell, I even have an Ultimate Doom poster hung up in my office. I went to id Software’s Quakecon down in Texas in 2003, 2004 and 2005. I’m playing through classic Doom currently! Going through the “Legacy of Rust” level pack.
I don’t fawn over specific dev teams at all like a lot of gaming fans do. id Software is the exception. If something from id was coming down the pike, I’d pay attention and inevitably would play it at some point. Many PC builds of mine were predicated on how well they could run an id Software game. Last time this happened was making sure I could run Doom (2016) buttery-smooth. “Influential” doesn’t really encompass how much this studio has played a role in my life.
Up until 2009, id was an independent developer. They created games that established the norms of an entire genre of video games, pushing technology and hardware to fuel their vision. Then they were acquired by ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks. Bethesda’s known for the Elder Scrolls and (modern) Fallout series. Even though it was shut down quickly, I couldn’t help but think of an Elder Scrolls 6 using id Tech. But here we are… 17 years later and we’re still waiting on ES6. That’s another story, however.
In 2021, ZeniMax Media was acquired by Microsoft. Fans were wary. Would this mean that id Software games would be exclusive to the Xbox platform? They have capital and track record of acquiring development teams. Microsoft acquired Rare back in 2002, a prolific British studio known for Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, and Donkey Kong Country among others. Rare released a couple games well since then. I can’t speak on their quality but if the deal is allowing them to ply their craft in the years since, then fair play to them.
Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in 2023. I am familiar with a lot of these games. I’m a big fan of DIablo, and while DIablo 4 releasing in the same year was good (after a few updates), one can’t help but notice how blatant the microtransactions are. It wasn’t like this way back when. You made one purchase, you might’ve bought an “expansion pack” for additional content, but that was it. Cosmetics weren’t available for sale. Battle Passes weren’t a thing. However, gaming has changed over the years. And the people complaining about microtransactions sound like old people yelling at clouds. Its reality. It’s an additional revenue stream. It’s money left on the table. It’s a factor in a game’s success or failure.
John Carmack, one of the founding members of id Software who left in 2013 spoke on the layoffs at id and touched on this point and more:
And damn if it isn’t true “To continue being produced long term, games need to succeed, not just be beloved.” Doom is known by everybody. I haven’t had a chance to play the latest installment; Doom: The Dark Ages. I did purchase it however and intend to play it at some point.
Gaming is a hobby with a lot of room to find your own way. There is some respite in indie titles, that give players great experiences with fun mechanics while not bludgeoning you over the head with microtransactions. As a whole, AAA gaming, or mainstream gaming doesn’t excite me. I find myself playing older titles much more often and not really concerning myself with the latest trends in gaming.
My hope is that id Software does rally. That perhaps the devs and artists who were laid off, venture into indie development and flex their collective creative muscle that way. More than anything, I’ve always wanted to see Quake 1 re-imagined. Much like Doom (2016) was. Its Lovecraftian-based enemies, fast movement and combat were always a joy to experience.
But as a long time id Software fan, this is a sad day.