'My Heart's With All of You' — John Romero Praises id Software's Legacy Preservation Efforts Amid Xbox Layoffs

John Romero has spoken out about the layoffs affecting Microsoft-owned id Software as part of sweeping cuts across Xbox. Yesterday, Xbox gaming head Asha Sharma announced the most significant restructuring in Xbox history, with 1,600 employees laid off immediately and another 1,600 expected to follow over the current financial year. As part of the changes, four studios are being transferred to new management, and one is under consultation regarding its future.

ZeniMax Media, which operates Bethesda, was hit hard by the layoffs. ZeniMax Online Studios saw major cuts, forcing the remaining developers of The Elder Scrolls Online to reconsider future content. id Software was also heavily impacted, losing 95 staff, according to former Bethesda Studios project lead Jeff Gardiner. Among those let go is principal character artist Denzil O’Neill, who worked on Doom: The Dark Ages, Doom Eternal, and Doom over 12 years at the studio. The Doom: The Dark Ages expansion launches this week.

Romero, co-founder of id Software and designer of Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, and Quake, took to social media to support affected staff and call for preservation of the studio's recent legacy.

"I'm so sorry for everyone at id Software affected by these layoffs," Romero tweeted. "I know what it feels like to leave id while id goes on. It's a strange and painful thing to step away from a place that holds so much of your work, friendships, and history.

"The people at id have done a great job moving that legacy forward. DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein are not easy names to carry on, especially in today's industry. The last few games showed real care, skill, and respect for what those worlds mean to people.

"A note on digital preservation: id's history is critically important to the history of games. I've preserved id's complete early history from our start at Softdisk through to August 6, 1996, including materials and assets that, as far as I know, id itself no longer has. I hope someone is doing the same for the company's ongoing legacy (the work, code, assets, stories, and the people behind them).

"I'm thinking of everyone at id today, and everyone else affected by yesterday's layoffs. Romero Games was there a year ago. I know how devastating it is, and my heart's with all of you."

This refers to last year's cancellation of Romero Games' shooter after Microsoft reportedly pulled funding as part of layoffs in July 2025. That round also included the cancellation of Rare's Everwild and The Initiative's Perfect Dark reboot. Romero Games didn't close, and the Romeros assured fans they were "evaluating opportunities" from publishers that had reached out since the funding issues were announced, but little is known about the game other than it was a first-person shooter.

Meanwhile, id Software's future remains uncertain. MachineGames survived the cuts, with a new Wolfenstein game widely considered an open secret. Could the remaining id Software staff be redirected to support its development or assist another studio in creating a new Fallout game?

Sharma made it clear that Xbox wants to double down on its biggest franchises. Bethesda head Jill Braff echoed this sentiment, saying, "To best position Bethesda for future growth, we are shifting from a planning model primarily centered on what's next for each independent studio to one that focuses on our strongest franchises and determining the content roadmap that best serves our players and Bethesda as a whole." She added, "From there, we'll align the right talent, technology, and resources across the organization to deliver on those priorities." Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier noted that Bethesda will continue working on Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake alongside The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.