While all Xbox layoffs are deeply unfortunate, the situation at id Software, the iconic studio behind DOOM and Quake, stands out as a particular tragedy. The majority of its employees were let go for a decisive reason.

A recent report has revealed that after wrapping up work on the latest DOOM entry, the studio submitted several new proposals, but not a single one was approved by leadership.

Left without an active title in development, Xbox executives made the call to dismiss most of the team. However, it has since emerged that some of those rejected pitches were notably ambitious.

Perfect Dark
id Software quería un nuevo proyecto de Perfect Dark, pero XBOX no dio luz verde

id Proposed New Perfect Dark Game But Xbox Rejected It

According to a recent report from GamesBeat, the situation at id Software has grown increasingly dire in the days following the layoffs announced by Xbox.

The studio has suffered a dramatic reduction in staff, shrinking from 185 employees in December 2025 to just 49 this week. This has fueled concerns that the team may be reduced to a support role for other projects under the Xbox umbrella.

The outlook, however, grows bleaker still. The report indicates that following the release of DOOM: The Dark Ages last year, id Software pitched multiple new projects, none of which received approval from Xbox leadership. The rejections left the studio in a precarious position, with its future hanging in the balance.

Among the proposals was a revival of the Perfect Dark franchise. id Software reportedly sought to rescue the series in the wake of the reboot’s failure and the subsequent closure of The Initiative. Given its first-person pedigree, the project would have been a natural fit for the acclaimed id Tech engine.

In a stark testament to the talent lost, one of the id Tech programmers affected by the layoffs remarked that the engine they had built was the finest in the industry for first-person shooters. Tragically, much of that team is now without work.

The studio behind DOOM also looked to broaden its creative scope with a John Wick-inspired action title.

According to the report, DOOM franchise director Hugo Martin championed a noir-style game codenamed Fury, which would have combined gunplay and martial arts across gritty settings inspired by the criminal underworlds of Louisiana and Chicago.

Additionally, id Software pitched a robot-themed survival game, along with further downloadable content and cooperative modes for DOOM: The Dark Ages. Yet none of these concepts moved forward.

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