Ex-id Software Developer Details Brutal Crunch Behind Doom: The Dark Ages DLC Before Layoffs
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Former id Software producer Andrew Willis revealed that developers worked up to 17-hour days to ship the Doom: The Dark Ages DLC just before being caught in massive Microsoft layoffs.
As reported by Eurogamer, former id Software producer Andrew Willis recently opened up about the grueling development cycle behind the Doom: The Dark Ages expansion, Revelations. Willis revealed that the team endured up to 17-hour workdays during the final months of production, with the entire expansion built in just a few short months. While the studio did not formally mandate overtime, developers felt compelled to push through the exhaustion to meet the high quality standards expected by both the players and the team itself, sacrificing family time and personal well-being to finish the project.
This intense push culminated in July when the expansion launched, coinciding precisely with a massive wave of 3,200 layoffs across Microsoft's Xbox division. Id Software was hit particularly hard, reportedly losing over half of its staff, including key senior talent and veterans responsible for core technical disciplines like the proprietary id Tech engine. Remaining staff and leadership have since offered differing views on the studio's future capacity, with some warning that the remaining headcount makes AAA development nearly impossible, while studio co-director Hugo Martin has pointed out that the current team size mirrors the era of 2016's Doom.
For players, this situation highlights a recurring and frustrating disconnect in modern game development, where incredible creative output is often achieved on the backs of unsustainable human sacrifice. When passionate developers work around the clock to deliver a polished experience only to receive pink slips on launch day, it damages the trust and community spirit that keeps the industry alive. As id Software figures out its next steps following the Revelations DLC, the broader gaming community continues to reckon with the human cost behind our favorite digital worlds.
Tags: id Software, Xbox, Doom: The Dark Ages, Industry News, Game Development
Original article: Eurogamer