The latest unfortunate wave of layoffs at Xbox, which will result in a loss of 3,200 jobs by July 2027, has affected pretty much every studio, ranging from those that went independent, like Tim Schafer's Double Fine, to those no one believed would be at risk, such as Bethesda. Among these, id Software was hit hard, so much so that the future of the id Tech engine, the impressive game engine that powers the DOOM series and MachineGames' Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, was put in question. According to the studio's Executive Producer Marty Stratton, the developer won't ditch its proprietary engine […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/id-software-rejects-unreal-engine-5-switch-xbox-layoffs-tech-powerhouse/

Prior to the arrival of The New Order in 2014, the most recent entry in the classic FPS series was 2009’s Wolfenstein. Developed by Raven Software (known for the underrated X-Men Origins: Wolverine game; now serving as a Call of Duty support studio), the series would be pretty much rebooted in the wake of Zenimax Media’s acquisition of id Software. Officially delisted from Steam over a decade ago, it seems 2009’s Wolfenstein might be gearing up for a return.

As discovered by multiple users, the official SteamDB page for 2009’s Wolfenstein has recently seen a bunch of internal activity, with the game having its previous release date (August 2009) removed alongside new strings which seems to showcase Steam Deck testing.

While nothing may come of this, the timing is interesting, with Bethesda’s QuakeCon set to go live early next month – celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Additionally, there has been an increasing amount of discourse surrounding the Wolfenstein series, with rumours suggesting that a 3rd entry from Machine Games (who developed Wolfenstein: The New Order and The New Colossus) is currently in the works.

Regardless, here’s to hoping that Bethesda / Microsoft are indeed planning to bring back 2009’s Wolfenstein in one form or another. Whether this will be a remaster, an enhanced port or even just the original game being relisted once again, it will be welcome to revisit one of Raven Software’s last original games.

KitGuru says: What did you think of 2009’s Wolfenstein? How does it compare to Machine Games’ efforts? What’s your favourite Raven Software game? Let us know down below.

The recent mass Xbox layoffs affected DOOM developer id Software in a major way, removing around 73.5% of the staff at their home office in Richardson, Texas. That worried fans, but the studio has tried to downplay the manpower reduction, suggesting it can still make new games and maintain its idTech engine. Now, DOOM: The Dark Ages Game Director Hugo Martin has returned to the subject during yesterday's episode of the Slayer Club Live streaming series. Martin once again assured fans that there's enough staff to keep going, and he'd personally love to complete the story arc they have in […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/hugo-martin-denies-id-software-was-gutted-after-layoffs/

The recent announcement that Microsoft would be parting ways with up-to 5 of its previously-acquired studios, alongside its laying-off of over 3000 Xbox employees, has caused a great deal of concern regarding the future of Xbox Games Studios. Despite reports revealing that id Software have been heavily impacted (losing half of its workforce), insiders claim that a new DOOM game is currently in its early stages of development.

Last week, we reported on some of the impacts felt as a result of Microsoft’s mass gutting of Xbox, with the likes of id Software losing up to 50% of its employees – many of whom were said to have been responsible for work on the team’s highly-praised idTech game engine.

Despite all that has occurred, it seems Microsoft still wants id Software to churn out new games, with known industry insider Tom Warren taking to Twitter to claim: “while the id layoffs have been deep, I understand the changes haven't turned id into a support studio. Instead, they're now in the early stages of a new Doom game.”

Given the fact that half of the team are no longer there, including many who helped to evolve the idTech engine for each new release, it’s safe to assume that whatever the team are working on next won’t be able to match the size, scope, quality and technical proficiency seen with the recent DOOM trilogy.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Microsoft’s current strategy? Is this next DOOM doomed to fail? What’s your favourite bespoke game engine? Let us know down below.

[UPDATE - July 11, 2026] The Verge's Tom Warren has now chimed in to say that despite the big layoffs, id Software is not, in fact, a support studio and work has already begun on a new DOOM game. [ORIGINAL STORY] Following the mass layoffs enacted by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma as part of her "big reset" of the division, Texan developer id Software repeatedly made headlines as evidence mounted that it may no longer be fully operational. A WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) filed in Texas revealed that 136 of around 185 employees had been laid off, raising serious concerns […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/id-software-downplays-xbox-reset-gutted-team-still-matches-doom-2016/

Following weeks of leaks and rumours, Microsoft finally made it official that they would be parting ways with 5 of their previously-acquired studios while also letting go of more than 3000 employees – half now, and the other half throughout the year. While details were somewhat light at the time, we have now gotten a clearer picture on how this is impacting Xbox Studios.

In the immediacy following the Xbox announcement, reports started popping up uncovering some of the less pleasant aspects of this recent shake-up. While we previously spoke on the fact that id Software have reportedly lost around half of its entire workforce, new details have emerged regarding Xbox’s other studios.

As discovered by the publication GameFile, new WARN notices released by multiple US states show just how wide-sweeping these recent lay-offs have been. According to these notices, Obsidian Entertainment is losing 52 workers (around 25% of its developers), with Zenimax Online Studios and Zenimax HQ seeing 213 and 166 lay-offs respectively.

Additionally, known insider Jason Schreier recently claimed that this marks a “big pivot” for Obsidian, with The Outer Worlds studio having its sequel to Avowed cancelled in favour of working on a new Fallout game.

As mentioned previously, we will likely continue to learn more about how exactly each studio is being impacted as the days progress. Either way, this is a dark time for the games industry.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of these new details? Will Xbox recover from all of this? Let us know down below.

The latest wave of layoffs at Microsoft's Xbox which is set to cut a total of 3,200 jobs by July 2027 is set to have significant consequences across every studio still under the umbrella. id Software is among the developers that has been impacted the most, as not only 136 developers were laid off from the studio, but also reportedly the entirety, or close by, of the id Tech team which worked on the great game engine that powers games such as DOOM Eternal, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. "Key positions were cut and […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-layoffs-reduce-id-tech-team-1-developer-unreal-engine-dominance/

We previously reported that DOOM developer id Software was significantly affected by the mass Xbox layoffs, though the extent of it was unclear. Some people said the studio might be halved, but it looks like the situation might be even worse. The website Game Developer managed to obtain a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice filed in Texas, which reports that ZeniMax Media has laid off 158 employees in the state. 22 of them are from Bethesda Game Studios Austin, which works on Fallout 76, and the remaining 136 were cut from id Software, with 96 working at the studio's headquarters […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/id-software-lost-73-5-percent-staff-after-xbox-cuts/

Following tons of leaks and rumours, Microsoft finally came out and confirmed that they will be making some big changes at Xbox, including but not limited to the parting of ways with 5 different studios and more than 3000 job cuts. While specifics on the extent of these cuts were kept vague, we’ve now gotten a clearer picture of its impact.

In the wake of the official announcement that Microsoft is laying off over 3000 employees from across Xbox, we’ve started to learn more about where exactly these cuts have taken place.

As reported by the publication Game Developer, multiple sources confirmed that these recent Xbox cuts have impacted DOOM studio id Software rather heavily, claiming that “around 50 percent of employees at the Texas-based studio have been laid off” – said to be a little under 100 developers.

Another team impacted is Obsidian Entertainment, with sources telling Kotaku that around 60-70 of its employees have been let go, amounting to roughly 25% of the studio.

One studio whose future still remains influx is Arkane Lyon, with The Verge’s Tom Warren claiming that “Arkane Studios is currently working on Blade under Xbox management, but the project has been delayed and is running over budget” adding that “it's not clear what will happen to Blade or Arkane Studios just yet.”

Of course, this is but a small snippet of the thousands of developers who are unfortunately losing their jobs seemingly through no fault of their own. Expect more revelations on just how bad this latest suite of cuts have been as the days and weeks progress.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Xbox’s recent moves? Is there a strategy behind all of this? Let us know down below.

Id Software’s modern DOOM Trilogy is an interesting series, with each entry having its own unique and distinct style of gameplay. With the upcoming Revelations DLC for The Dark Ages, the team are once again switching up the formula – though this time throwing some DOOM Eternal DNA into the pot.

Ahead of the DLC’s official launch on the 7th of July, previews for DOOM The Dark Ages – Revelations have now gone live, giving us a ton of new details on what to expect from this exciting expansion; including info from Xbox directly.

All of the new announcements can be found HERE, but some of the most notable details include:

• The DLC will be 10-12 hours in length
• Bigger than both Eternal DLCs combined
• Has a higher base difficulty than the main campaign
• Levels feature a metroidvania-lite style of design
• Major update coming to the Ripatorium arena
• New Chain Spear weapon brings inspiration from DOOM Eternal

As mentioned, each of the 3 most recent DOOMs have had their own takes on FPS design, with The Dark Ages making its shield and blocking a core mechanic. For Revelations however, the new Chain Spear will instead offer more DOOM Eternal-esque gameplay opportunities, including:

• A slam inspired by Eternal’s Hammer weapon
• The titular ‘chain’ functioning like a refined version of Eternal’s Meat Hook

Of course, the Chain Spear includes tons of other functionalities, including Ocarina of Time-like Z-targeting. All-in-all, Revelations looks to be another excellent entry into the DOOM series, and one which fans of Eternal in particular will enjoy. Even if the base DOOM: The Dark Ages did not appeal to you, this upcoming DLC could be worth looking into.

KitGuru says: What did you think of The Dark Ages? Are you excited for this DLC? Which of the 3 recent DOOMs has your preferred gameplay style? Let us know down below.

Wccftech recently attended an exclusive preview hosted by id Software about the upcoming campaign expansion DLC, Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations, set to launch on July 7 across all platforms. Game Director Hugo Martin and Executive Producer Marty Stratton described this expansion of Doom: The Dark Ages as the culmination of 35 years of the Doom franchise history. Though technically classified as a DLC, Revelations delivers a massive, premium standalone-tier experience, offering 10 to 12 hours of gameplay, with Stratton pointing out that some testers took even longer. This scope is equal to both of Doom Eternal's campaign expansions […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/doom-the-dark-ages-revelations-35-years-id-software/

The ‘rebooted’ DOOM trilogy has seen a ton of success following the release of its first entry back in 2016. Since then, each successive entry has taken a different approach when it comes to gameplay – for better or for worse depending on your preferred style. Taking yet another swing at evolving the formula, ID Software have officially announced and dated DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations, a campaign expansion featuring an unmasked DoomSlayer and his “all-new deadly Chain Spear.”

Officially announced during Microsoft’s recent Xbox Games Showcase, DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations is “an all-new campaign expansion that unleashes a brutal new chapter of the Slayer's saga.”

Set to release in just under a month on the 7th of July, this upcoming chapter sees the Slayer “wounded and betrayed” being “thrust into a merciless purgatory only escapable by confronting haunting truths and forging new strength with the help of a mysterious ally.”

Of course, DOOM is all about the gameplay, and in this regard Revelations is taking things in a different direction to the base game, offering players a brand new ‘Chain Spear’ which allows for increased mobility, directional movement and a breather from the base game’s focus on blocking. Additionally, ID Software have promised “deeper puzzles” and “new demons” alongside a ton of mysteries.

Last but not least, the expansion will also introduce the ‘Ripatorium 3.0’ adding 3 new maps; additional enemies; new weapons and ‘deeper’ customisation.

DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations officially launches on the 7th of July. No price has been provided, but all those who purchased either the premium edition or the collector’s bundle will receive the DLC for ‘free’ upon launch.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Showcase? Are you excited by Revelations’ new gameplay opportunities? Which of the three recent DOOMs have been your favourite? Let us know down below.

DOOM: The Dark Ages' expected DLC expansion was finally revealed during today's Xbox Games Showcase 2026 as part of Summer Game Fest. The expansion, titled Revelations (no relation to Final Fantasy VII Remake Revelation), will arrive on July 7, 2026, and add a whole new campaign for players to rip and tear through. It'll be available on all platforms at launch, and players who went ahead and bought the Premium Edition of The Dark Ages when it arrived last year, which was the biggest launch a DOOM game has ever had, with 3 million players jumping in right away. If […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/doom-the-dark-ages-revelations-expansion-release-date-xbox-games-showcase-2026/