# Doom co-creator John Romero weighs in on Xbox's cuts to id Software, underlines the importance of digital preservation and the studio's history

> **Newsylist Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-07-07 15:29 UTC · Category: Technology · Sources: 10 · Current Velocity: 7.91

## Executive Summary
Doom co-creator John Romero responds to reports that Xbox has cut approximately half of the staff at id Software.

## Intelligence Brief
Xbox has reportedly laid off around 50% of the team at id Software. In response to the news, Doom co-creator John Romero expressed his support for the ousted developers, describing the situation as devastating.


Coverage from Insider Gaming, Windows Central, and PC Gamer emphasizes the scale of the cuts. Eurogamer.net and Rock Paper Shotgun highlight Romero's reaction, specifically his focus on the studio's history and the necessity of digital preservation.


Future attention remains on whether the work of the studio is being preserved, a point underscored by Romero based on his own previous actions before leaving the company.

## Verified Facts & Key Claims
### How many staff members were reportedly cut at id Software?
Reports indicate that around half of the studio's staff were laid off.

### What was John Romero's reaction to the layoffs?
Romero commiserated with the affected developers and stressed the importance of preserving the studio's digital work and history.

### Which company was responsible for the cuts?
According to coverage from Windows Central and Eurogamer.net, the cuts were made by Xbox.

## Key People, Organizations & Locations
Software, Layoffs, John Romero, Doom's John Romero, DOOM Developer Id Software Loses, Its Staff

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Published (UTC) | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chron | At least 90 employees laid off at Texas-based id Software amid Xbox cuts | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiAFBVV95cUxOVnBKbFVrRXNSdzc0STA0SFZ5T1Y2Vk9mUWxtMWN5a2NNZ3lPZEpOR19aMjcwSjAzWDd4ZmJaaEQybU5pMmVlQjdrU2o4OWMzVDFjTGZjUlZmbEt5ZklTaGdiVU9OY2hOeUM3aEt4ajN3X2wwV0ZNOUdBWUVWTU95azVqbGNzTmdF?oc=5) |
| AltChar | id Software developer says Microsoft treated the team as "useless" despite best-in-class titles | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1wFBVV95cUxQSEowZkZBSTFwSldSb0NRX0VJOGYyamRXY1A3NVhXVTJ1MUhmVElSWnJFZVdnekNJZlpPbnlZWEpiZy1BeHZrTm1weXJJbXhHcW1wQm5feEFveG9BVklld21kZW14ZDNweVVXeExUcExvTmFBdXlCRm5oRVd3c3FHLXdHbHhTTlRrZGFhSmxPT1U1ZkFUQjl5TVRFT19QVF91TkpiRklKejFYU0t5TFFaU05qelVITXZrc2F0dXFpQzM4dTF3LUVzOWdDcllIMkc0bVVuLVJzTQ?oc=5) |
| ixbt.games | Almost 50% of id Software employees laid off. Nearly all programmers fired | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxNZkhfbUJ0LXMwMWtRZGNTNHpQanl0NDE5Ykx6VWY3a3JkRW9OUTU5Zzcxd2xqVGYwYU5wa2JyYTVRQUpOVF9OUXJzMVJwZWVfcGYwdGsxNWR3eWw4QzQ4bjdZUm1wby1wWFBmX2Y0U0ZBQU82WmdvR0JGSG1MV3hvVXFlZHg2dGEtek55S1hHZWNKeWZLTktNQTdPaW9LREFkRmEzMElIZGFtQWfSAbABQVVfeXFMT2JwRkxjbE54TC1nMjNhMDRCNWU1SFZwd2RpU1U1QzZJTmpfWkh1Tjh1cXVacHd6NzA3ZE9QcWRMSWtyTlV4bjkyUmhOSkRXSlQtQ1BabXktb3JnVnNWZWhXZEYydVowWW85OTNwaHJONGpqSWNaSUUyMDF0QTFsQ3V3UzVEckFPd2ZHT1ExenlRQ0owbWxVVHl5aUJyenNVeENjRHVuakd) |
| Pure Xbox | Xbox Layoffs Cut id Software In Half As DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Launches | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxNei1sTGlqRUpoWTNqRWlWV3NaSXlUUTVXaHluY0ZLWTBWeWQzZzVIVFJ3UFZFUWloMm1xem8yWkJXb2xvbXUwSVpEMVMtTXd0MjVTSDV1UFkzVXJFamFKQ0tOb0dKeFVIY3p3aUZDWTlJUndsZkVEWXVVNGdLaUJ2LUVZelRTajhaSEUtU1R4emRSTy1GOTVpU0hzQ0V1ZE1qelBsdDFveEExT1RUMHc?oc=5) |
| The Verge | Doom developer id reportedly cut in half as part of Xbox layoffs | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidkFVX3lxTE5CaGxtZjRaTHJOQ3lySmgyZUFsZXFTZWhNekx1YmdhSGh3RFZEb0Z6OFZ4ZGlMMklvUElKRGpjeWFuNVVpRWZvX3l1c1lTVnBzVENFLUFkZkFpSGRQa2JqU2ZNNnFpQlBEeW1PWFl0eVZIcGktQ3c?oc=5) |
| Rock Paper Shotgun | "I know how devastating it is, and my heart's with all of you": Doom's John Romero responds to id Software reportedly losing half their team | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi-wFBVV95cUxOb1pyNEhiU09BRjZuenZ6cnE0NWFzQ1JOQ3gxZ2szX29GTk9EckJQWGYtb2loZnJOWUVVYW82dTN0TlY1Um8yRU9KZldqaGdEQ240Z1h6WWotUmpvdlVUTDZjR2Vzb2plSGdwRW1CdVBPU3pYUlAyZ1I1LUUtOEZlWUVBNGx0RHBaWHR1Z3Zrc19lSktUNVFyZjYzX1FCMnJDSUlfQVoyUm9JMkdVYkh1NnBfMlhjODkwVkQtRDFMb3Y3SUFfZG5rUW90cERqRnI0eVZkX0RUbFdWT2RncjJBVktyWmoyWEIzeURlTmVUVGROaUFHMWR6LVNEdw?oc=5) |
| PC Gamer | John Romero commiserates with ousted id devs as around half the studio reported axed, says he hopes someone is preserving its work like he did before he left | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAJBVV95cUxPWkFrNFZGWlhaamE4QThvRGFnY2gwRThEeEdNd3QtMGVzUjVhblJtcWE5LWM2dWE4R3ZwWVdsVnZTN3FHZWw3SVpBYk9sYzlTZzRkemY2am9iMXh4ZzJVZDJLVlR3Z3YweG1MeWlHZ3ZtWkxBY0stYy1VWVUybHEzZ0lhYlZ3RWxfeHlzbm5KTU1YcHVCc19QbFhzLUhfcWpyY3B6SFJSLUZzM24xVG1fVVpFUnE2UXRDUTRzczE0SlJpQ0UwWmt1NlJ5cmdVWmhCT21CWGZ2dzYxWC1zN3Q5THZkekJXU1lWNXNSaFhSVkhxYXZvNDJHRWNlNjBadk9WWFQyYXVRRGN0N3V0end4bkx4YTk2b0xFT0lBdTNNU3BlQWpU?oc=5) |
| Insider Gaming | DOOM Developer Id Software Loses 50% of Its Staff in Layoffs | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxQY1BVS2VneHdKbmw5OWJmWDhiRExRbEV0UHgtcWdlUm5RdXBfYkNzSmw1QkhyOXJacHp6QUQxV3NoUDFkSDFURmhPdWhWNlZMZEI4bjdGVTZWWWZDdmo4Y0NQazUtUHZyM2s0YVQ0MHUzRFZXVUxNSDEzdVFndnIyQTlrU2prMXQzTm5xWWtMbmk?oc=5) |
| Windows Central | Xbox reportedly cut half of id Software | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0wFBVV95cUxPV1I2alBRU2tYLWtQaVFremNSUmpIV3ZWeWxnZkN2YVp0WTZLd1Atd1VwQUFuMHVFYVlweVRqX3R0b3QwMWdRVE16c1hrWFBBRDdON3pwY21HbXlTSFNKSmQ3cU5BLVdkMHVaMGUxYndFWW1WbUtlVjhBZlNlM1FiZEtxUkVVcWhicGdBVXl2dF8xb0RJWEprOWJKXzJqNm9NQnFfZWduOExOZkRkYXJ6SEhrYi1hQTZFMy03WHZmcEJuQUdnX2szZUZSdFo5VGNjY3dJ?oc=5) |
| Eurogamer.net | Doom co-creator John Romero weighs in on Xbox's cuts to id Software, underlines the importance of digital preservation and the studio's history | 2026-07-07 13:51 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxQWGNlSEwyaTdGN0dtV3hDRFc2aE5wRlkxd18yT0NsUWZucFFxb3M5NXdGcEViWWthT0h1RVcwTVF1R0NFUGFvSVFxV2wxdURUTjB2SU5zWC1DcVVVZjZ1a3FjQ1NKZDFjUE96bXZWZUhOYVB3Q0VTSWJBckdwT19yZjZzdEc?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://www.newsylist.com/trend/2026-07-07/doom-co-creator-john-romero-weighs-in-on-xbox-s-cuts-to-id-software-underlines*
*Synthesized by Newsylist Open Intelligence Engine under E-E-A-T journalistic standards.*