Following a significant reduction in force at id Software, internal projects—including potential titles inspired by the John Wick film franchise—face an uncertain future. Reports indicate that Microsoft laid off 92 of the studio’s 185 full-time employees, a move that has left the remaining team significantly smaller and prompted questions regarding the studio’s capacity to initiate new, large-scale development projects.
The layoffs arrive as the studio concludes its work on the Doom: The Dark Ages expansion, titled Revelations. With that project wrapping, the team had been exploring several concepts for its next endeavor, according to reporting from GamesBeat and other industry observers. The scope of these concepts ranged from established intellectual properties to original, genre-bending titles.
Proposed Projects and Studio Strategy
Before the staff reduction, id Software was reportedly evaluating a variety of pitches to diversify its portfolio beyond the Doom franchise. One prominent concept involved a new entry in the Perfect Dark series. The property became available to other internal studios following Microsoft’s restructuring of The Initiative and the subsequent cancellation of its reboot project.
Another ambitious pitch was codenamed Fury. Sources describe this as a noir-inspired sci-fi game set in a world populated by gangsters from Chicago and Louisiana. The design philosophy behind Fury aimed to blend tactical gunplay with martial arts, drawing stylistic inspiration from the John Wick film series. The studio reportedly envisioned the title as a potential flagship release for Project Helix, the internal designation often associated with next-generation Xbox hardware.
Additionally, the team had been considering a co-op multiplayer Doom title that would have integrated weaponry from throughout the franchise’s history, alongside a separate, early-stage survival game influenced by the television series Westworld. The viability of these concepts remains unclear as the studio recalibrates its resources.
The Impact of Workforce Reductions
The scale of the layoffs—affecting roughly 50% of the studio’s full-time staff—has created significant doubt regarding the feasibility of these ambitious pitches. One individual impacted by the layoffs characterized the current situation as a series of reactive decisions, expressing skepticism about the studio’s ability to move forward with new, independent projects.
This organizational shift raises questions about whether id Software will maintain its status as an independent lead developer or transition into a support role for other Microsoft-owned entities. Potential future contributions could include assisting with major titles such as The Elder Scrolls 6, Wolfenstein 3, or Marvel’s Blade. The studio’s current trajectory echoes previous workforce reductions at Turn 10 Studios, the developer behind the Forza Motorsport series, which also faced questions regarding its future output and project focus following mass layoffs.
Operational Outlook
For now, id Software has not issued a formal statement regarding the cancellation or continuation of the specific projects mentioned in recent reporting. The studio’s immediate focus remains the delivery of the Revelations content for Doom: The Dark Ages. Further clarity regarding the company’s long-term development roadmap is expected to come through official channels as Microsoft continues to integrate its various development teams under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella.
Industry observers and fans alike are watching to see if the studio will prioritize its core franchises or attempt to bring its experimental pitches to fruition. As the situation develops, we will continue to monitor official updates from id Software and Microsoft. Please share your thoughts in the comments below as we track how these changes impact the future of the studio’s legendary catalog.