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Evening Reading - July 10, 2026
This edition of Evening Reading covers various gaming news items, including a trailer for Dune 3, QuakeCon 2026 plans, a Pokemon GO anniversary event, and Id Software confirming layoffs. It also touches on business news like SK Hynix's stock performance, Apple suing OpenAI, Meta suspending an AI feature, and EA College Football 25 removing microtransactions. Additionally, it highlights deals for Nintendo and Square Enix games, Palworld exiting Early Access, and new map collections.
id Software: Current Team is Same Size as for DOOM (2016)
id Software posted on X to address concerns about the studio's size following recent layoffs within Microsoft's Xbox division. The studio stated that its current team is the same size as it was during the development of DOOM (2016).
Fallout 5, The Elder Scrolls 6, Blade, and More: As Xbox Layoffs Hit Hard, What's Going on at Bethesda?
Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, and ZeniMax Online Studios were affected by recent Xbox layoffs. The cuts impact development teams working on titles such as Fallout 5, The Elder Scrolls 6, and Blade.
Microsoft Refutes Notion That Foreign-Worker Visas Were Behind Mass Xbox Layoffs
Microsoft communications lead Frank X. Shaw refuted claims that foreign-worker visas were the cause of recent mass layoffs affecting 1,600 people at Xbox. Shaw stated the workforce changes were due to a necessary business restructure, not to replace employees with foreign workers, and that H-1B visa holders represent a small percentage of the overall workforce and were not specific to Xbox.
ID software says team about same size as Doom 2016 team and they will continue on
ID Software has stated that its team size remains comparable to that of the Doom (2016) development. Despite recent layoffs impacting the studio, the company assures that it retains the necessary personnel to continue its development efforts.
id Software provides proof of life, says it 'still has the crew we need to build the games and tech we're…
Following significant layoffs at id Software, the studio has issued a statement assuring that it retains the necessary staff and technology to continue developing its signature games and the idTech engine. The company stated its current team size is comparable to when DOOM (2016) was in development, aiming to quell concerns about its future capacity and reliance on Unreal Engine.
Id Software confirms layoffs reduced the team to its size 'when making DOOM (2016)'
Id Software has confirmed significant layoffs, reducing its team size to what it was during the development of DOOM (2016). The studio thanked fans for their support and stated it would still be present at QuakeCon 2026. Reports indicate around 96 on-site and 40 remote roles were affected.
Id claims it has "the crew we need to build the games and tech we're known for" following mass layoffs
id Software stated on X that it retains the necessary staff to develop its known games and technology, following significant layoffs across the Xbox portfolio. The studio claims its current team size is comparable to when DOOM (2016) was developed, emphasizing a flat, maker-focused philosophy. This comes after reports suggested the layoffs left the company unable to maintain its idtech engine.
id Software Issues Statement Following Xbox Layoffs, Says It's Back to the Size It Was When It Made 2016's Doom
id Software has released a statement addressing recent layoffs at Xbox, confirming that the studio has returned to its approximate size during the development of the 2016 game Doom. The statement follows news of significant staff reductions at the first-person shooter developer.
Summary: what's happening at Xbox?
Xbox announced a major restructuring involving 3,200 job cuts, with 1,600 immediate layoffs, primarily affecting ZeniMax studios like Bethesda and id Software. Several studios, including Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs, are being sold off or spun out as independent entities. This move aims to refocus on high-earning franchises and improve profit margins, impacting the development of upcoming titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 and potentially State of Decay 3.
Xbox After The Layoffs: Studios Left And What They’re Making
Xbox has undergone significant restructuring, including layoffs and the divestment of five studios, as it aims to increase profitability and focus on major intellectual properties. This shake-up impacts numerous development teams and projects across Xbox Game Studios, Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda, with a renewed focus on core franchises and a shift in business strategies like the exclusion of Call of Duty from Xbox Game Pass day-one launches.
Xbox needs to make a choice, says former PlayStation leader Shawn Layden: be a publisher or a platform, but you can't be both
Former PlayStation leader Shawn Layden argues that Xbox must choose between being a major game publisher or a platform holder, stating it cannot effectively be both. He highlights the need for exclusive content to support a platform, contrasting it with the multiplatform approach required for a top publisher, a dilemma exacerbated by recent Xbox layoffs and strategic shifts.
QuakeCon 2026 will be a place for celebration, mourning, and outrage
Recent layoffs at Xbox and id Software cast a somber shadow over the upcoming QuakeCon 2026, turning what should be a celebration into a potential funeral. The article discusses the uncertainty surrounding id Software's future, the potential abandonment of their proprietary id Tech engine in favor of Unreal Engine, and the likely fan outrage at the event.
"We mean business" - Bethesda union members to march in protest of sweeping Xbox job cuts
Bethesda Game Studios union members are planning protests against recent layoffs impacting Microsoft's Xbox division. The union criticizes Microsoft's framing of the cuts and asserts their legal right to bargain over the impact of these layoffs, demanding preferential transfers, stronger severance, and recall rights for affected workers. The layoffs have reportedly caused plummeting morale and may significantly affect the development of The Elder Scrolls 6.
Can a top-down, focused software strategy save Xbox? | Opinion
Xbox has undergone significant layoffs and studio closures, impacting 20% of its workforce and five internal studios, including Compulsion Games and Double Fine. This strategic shift, led by Asha Sharma, aims to address financial issues and improve first-party development, though the article questions the effectiveness of these measures and criticizes the company's past spending and treatment of developers.
"They want us to accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear" – Bethesda union members organise protest in response to Xbox layoffs
Union members at Bethesda Game Studios, Id Software, and ZeniMax Online Studios are organizing protests and a strike in response to recent layoffs affecting 440 employees. The OneBGS union accuses Microsoft and Bethesda of attempting to circumvent bargaining obligations by framing the cuts as an 'entrepreneurial change.' They are demanding preferential transfers, stronger severance packages, and recall rights for affected workers.
Xbox confirms there isn't just "1 person left in Texas" working on id Software's engine following mass layoffs, but "dozens" across "multiple locations"
Xbox has refuted claims that only one person remains in Texas working on id Software's id Tech engine following extensive layoffs. A spokesperson stated that dozens of employees are still working on the engine across multiple locations, though the exact number is unconfirmed. Former id Software artist Derek Best criticized Microsoft's actions, stating that significant institutional knowledge and technological advancements, particularly for Doom: The Dark Ages, have been lost due to the layoffs.
"My 'Microsoft will probably be a good steward of the brand' statement isn't aging well" - id Software co-founder John Carmack speaks out after devastating Xbox layoffs
id Software co-founder John Carmack commented on the recent significant layoffs at his former studio following Xbox's restructuring. Carmack expressed sadness but not anger, suggesting id Software may have been a marginal business for Microsoft, with Minecraft revenues potentially subsidizing other studios. He reflected on the challenges of making games financially successful in a competitive market and questioned potential strategies for increasing revenue and reducing costs without alienating the existing player base.
Id Software co-founder John Carmack "can’t muster anger or outrage" over Xbox gutting the Doom studio, but does say it'll "dampen the mood of the founder reunion"
Id Software co-founder John Carmack expressed sadness but not anger over the recent layoffs at the studio, suggesting that the company may have been a marginal business for Microsoft. He believes games need to succeed financially to continue being produced and that executives aren't always the problem, though he acknowledges the possibility. Carmack hopes the studio can recover despite the uncertain future.
Update: Microsoft Says id Tech Expertise Survived id Software’s Brutal Layoffs
id Software is reportedly in disarray following significant layoffs, with only a small number of employees remaining who are familiar with the id Tech engine. Despite the staff reductions, Microsoft still intends to leverage the id Tech expertise.