Chris Hays, id Software's lead services programmer who has been at the studio for over 15 years, has spoken out against Xbox in the wake of layoffs that hit the company. Speaking on the Auf ein Bier YouTube channel's Well Played podcast, Hays said Xbox "fundamentally" doesn't understand art or games, arguing that a company organized around fiscal quarters isn't suited to make art that can take years to develop.

Xbox's broader layoffs cut 1,600 jobs across its gaming division in July, with another 1,600 cuts expected before the end of the year, according to GamesRadar+ and Kotaku. New Xbox boss Asha Sharma called the changes "the most significant restructure in Xbox history" in an email to employees, per Kotaku. As part of the fallout, Xbox also divested from studios including Double Fine and Compulsion Games.

Id Software, maker of Doom, Quake, and the original Wolfenstein, reportedly lost half its staff in the cuts. Hays disputed claims from Xbox and studio leadership that id can still ship a AAA game like Doom (2016) with a smaller team, calling that idea "impossible." He said entire departments and disciplines have been gutted, asking who would now handle tasks like creating skyboxes, maintaining infrastructure, or maintaining the studio's game engine. "We're not the same id," Hays said. "We're half the same id."

Doom: The Dark Ages director Hugo Martin has pushed back on claims about the studio's diminished state, saying id is "the size we were when we made Doom 2016" and that id Tech, the studio's engine, is "very much alive and well." Hays disputed the comparison, saying that when the host of the podcast noted discrepancies with staff numbers listed in the Doom (2016) credits, he replied that Xbox says the studio is "close to" its former size specifically "because it is less."

Hays also said id management had been given "talking points" dictated by Xbox and suggested the messaging was intended to reassure remaining staff that things are fine, in part to prevent further departures. He additionally criticized Xbox's Game Pass subscription service, arguing that Xbox has criticized Bethesda's sales figures despite games being available day one on Game Pass, which he said undercuts traditional sales models.

Kotaku said it had reached out to Xbox for comment and clarification on the claims made by Hays.