Dev at id Software says Microsoft ‘burned a lot of bridges’ in the industry: ‘They fundamentally don’t understand art, they don’t understand games’

One of the biggest tragedies of Xbox’s wide-reaching reset is id Software, which was cut by a whopping 136 roles. And while official statements from Microsoft and the studio have tried to reassure players that it’s not been gutted, whether that’s just a panicking Xbox trying to calm anxieties is up for debate.

Especially given the words of Chris Hays, lead services programmer at id Software, in an interview with YouTube channel Auf ein Bier at the end of last month. To say that Hays doesn’t mince his words is an understatement—and I’m finding it hard to blame him, given Microsoft announced the layoffs one day before Doom: The Dark Ages released its DLC.