The situation surrounding “Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations” is troubling. Despite Id Software releasing a well-received expansion, many team members were laid off just after its launch when 136 staff were cut from the studio by Xbox. Former producer Andrew Willis revealed on the Kiwi Talkz podcast that the development of the expansion was marked by intense crunch, with team members working up to 17 hours a day.
Willis described the experience as ‘brutal,’ noting that most of the expansion’s work was completed in a mere three to four months, compared to the five years it took to develop the base game. The expansion faced feature creep, leading to further pressure on the already tight timeline.
Willis emphasized that the crunch was not mandated, but the workload naturally led the team into overworking themselves to meet quality expectations. Additionally, many veterans in the industry found the conditions unprecedentedly harsh.
The layoffs were announced just a day prior to the expansion’s release, leaving team members feeling disheartened after investing significant personal sacrifices into its completion. The situation raises questions about the internal pressures within Id Software and from higher-ups at Xbox, particularly after the lower-than-expected sales of “The Dark Ages” compared to “Doom Eternal.”
Despite these challenges, studio director Hugo Martin claims Id Software is in a stable condition post-layoffs.
