{"id":2086033,"date":"2026-08-10T10:43:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T07:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2086033"},"modified":"2026-08-10T10:43:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T07:43:49","slug":"xbox-layoffs-show-execs-dont-understand-games-argues-doom-boss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2086033","title":{"rendered":"Xbox layoffs show execs \u201cdon\u2019t understand games\u201d, argues \u2018Doom\u2019 boss"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/doom-the-dark-ages@2000&#215;1270.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><span>Gaming News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Xbox layoffs show execs \u201cdon\u2019t understand games\u201d, argues \u2018Doom\u2019 boss<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to make a game when entire departments are gutted\u201d\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Ali Shutler<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-08-10T11:43:49+01:00\">10th August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/doom-the-dark-ages@2000x1270-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Doom Slayer in &apos;Doom: The Dark Ages&apos;\" title=\"doom-the-dark-ages@2000x1270\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">&#8216;Doom: The Dark Ages&#8217;. Credit: id Software<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Chris Hays, lead services programmer at <i>Doom<\/i> developer id Software, has criticised Microsoft after the studio was hit by sweeping lay-offs last month.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: \u2018Doom: The Dark Ages\u2019 soundtrack was inspired by Black Sabbath, Metallica and Spiritbox<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Last month, Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma announced \u201cthe most significant restructure\u201d in the gaming giant\u2019s history. 1,600 members of Xbox staff were let go as part of the sweeping measures, with a further 3,200 Microsoft jobs to be axed in the near future.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Microsoft also confirmed Xbox consoles would be getting more expensive for the second time in 18 months. \u201cWe hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027. The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles,\u201d Microsoft wrote in a blog post.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCompanies don\u2019t get to choose whether their industry changes; they only get to choose whether they change with it,\u201d added Microsoft\u2019s executive vice president Amy Coleman.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As part of the cuts 136 members of staff at Id Software, which was behind 2016\u2019s <i>Doom <\/i>reboot and sequels <i>Doom Eternal <\/i>and <i>The Dark Ages<\/i>, were let go. It\u2019s a decision that lead services programmer Chris Hayes isn\u2019t happy about. Speaking to Andre Peschke on Auf ein Bier, he said (via <i>IGN<\/i>): \u201cIt\u2019s hard to make a game when entire departments [that you need] are gutted that you need and entire disciplines are gone. And by hard, I mean impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Well played: What happened at id Software, when the layoffs hit (ft. Chris Hays)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aA64Ogzm_VU?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>\u201cThere is a lot more that went into each of the [<i>Doom<\/i>] games that went along. We made bigger and better games, but that\u2019s with twice as many people as we had. So, we have fewer than we had before. So, are we going to make something equivalent to a single-player Xbox 360 game? Because that\u2019s the size of the studio we have.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>He went on to say the studio had \u201cserious issues\u201d with Xbox Game Pass, which features all id Software titles as Day One releases. \u201cWhenever we see the financial reports that say there were poor sales\u2026 What\u2019s a sale if you have Game Pass? Are you saying that poor sales means poor number of games sold? Because, of course. You\u2019re not doing a game-sold business model. They fundamentally don\u2019t understand art. They don\u2019t understand games. They don\u2019t understand that business model.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year Thomas Mahler, director of <i>Ori And The Blind Forest<\/i> and its 2020 sequel criticised \u201cslop\u201d titles released on Xbox Game Pass.<\/p>\n<p>In other news, video gaming megafan The Weeknd\u2019s latest obsession is an indie fishing game demo.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>DOOM<\/li>\n<li>Xbox Game Pass<\/li>\n<li>Xbox Series X\/S<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_93 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_93\">\n<div class=\"td-block-title-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"td-block-title\"><span class=\"td-pulldown-size\">TRENDING<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Xbox Game Pass 2026: what\u2019s new and what\u2019s worth playing?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div 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td-module-title\">\u2018Tony Hawk\u2019s Pro Skater 1+2\u2019 is no longer coming to Xbox Game Pass<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Gaming News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Xbox Game Pass confirms first wave of July 2026 additions<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Chris Hays, lead services programmer at <i>Doom<\/i> developer id Software, has criticised Microsoft after the studio was hit by sweeping lay-offs last month.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: \u2018Doom: The Dark Ages\u2019 soundtrack was inspired by Black Sabbath, Metallica and Spiritbox<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Last month, Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma announced \u201cthe most significant restructure\u201d in the gaming giant\u2019s history. 1,600 members of Xbox staff were let go as part of the sweeping measures, with a further 3,200 Microsoft jobs to be axed in the near future.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Microsoft also confirmed Xbox consoles would be getting more expensive for the second time in 18 months. \u201cWe hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027. The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles,\u201d Microsoft wrote in a blog post.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCompanies don\u2019t get to choose whether their industry changes; they only get to choose whether they change with it,\u201d added Microsoft\u2019s executive vice president Amy Coleman.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As part of the cuts 136 members of staff at Id Software, which was behind 2016\u2019s <i>Doom <\/i>reboot and sequels <i>Doom Eternal <\/i>and <i>The Dark Ages<\/i>, were let go. It\u2019s a decision that lead services programmer Chris Hayes isn\u2019t happy about. Speaking to Andre Peschke on Auf ein Bier, he said (via <i>IGN<\/i>): \u201cIt\u2019s hard to make a game when entire departments [that you need] are gutted that you need and entire disciplines are gone. And by hard, I mean impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Well played: What happened at id Software, when the layoffs hit (ft. Chris Hays)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aA64Ogzm_VU?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>\u201cThere is a lot more that went into each of the [<i>Doom<\/i>] games that went along. We made bigger and better games, but that\u2019s with twice as many people as we had. So, we have fewer than we had before. So, are we going to make something equivalent to a single-player Xbox 360 game? Because that\u2019s the size of the studio we have.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>He went on to say the studio had \u201cserious issues\u201d with Xbox Game Pass, which features all id Software titles as Day One releases. \u201cWhenever we see the financial reports that say there were poor sales\u2026 What\u2019s a sale if you have Game Pass? Are you saying that poor sales means poor number of games sold? Because, of course. You\u2019re not doing a game-sold business model. They fundamentally don\u2019t understand art. They don\u2019t understand games. They don\u2019t understand that business model.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year Thomas Mahler, director of <i>Ori And The Blind Forest<\/i> and its 2020 sequel criticised \u201cslop\u201d titles released on Xbox Game Pass.<\/p>\n<p>In other news, video gaming megafan The Weeknd\u2019s latest obsession is an indie fishing game demo.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/gaming-news\/xbox-layoffs-microsoft-dont-understand-games-doom-boss-id-software-3961728&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/doom-the-dark-ages@2000&#215;1270.jpg&#8221;] NewsGaming News Xbox layoffs show execs \u201cdon\u2019t understand games\u201d, argues \u2018Doom\u2019 boss &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to make a game when entire departments are gutted\u201d By Ali Shutler 10th August 2026 &#8216;Doom: The Dark Ages&#8217;. Credit: id Software Chris Hays, lead services programmer at Doom developer id Software, has criticised Microsoft after the studio [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2086033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2086033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2086033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2086033\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2086033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2086033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2086033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}