Despite the recent wave of layoffs, id Software executive producer Marty Stratton confirmed that the developer will not replace its proprietary technology with Unreal Engine 5, as the studio continues to have full faith in it.
The Impact of the Xbox Layoffs on id Software
The recent, unfortunate wave of Xbox layoffs—which will result in the loss of 3,200 jobs by next July—has affected virtually every studio, from those that have become independent (e.g., Tim Schafer’s Double Fine studio) to those that no one thought were in danger (e.g., Bethesda Game Studios). Among these, id Software was hit particularly hard: so much so that the future of the id Tech engine (which powers the DOOM series and MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and The Great Circle) also became questionable.
Transitioning to a third-party environment like Unreal Engine 5 might have been considered, but leadership elected to double down on internal custom code.
Marty Stratton Defends the Proprietary Codebase
Addressing the studio’s technical roadmap, executive producer Marty Stratton pushed back against any notion of engine migration. With 26 years of tenure at the studio, Stratton maintained a positive outlook despite a smaller team size. The developer recently showcased its community engagement during QuakeCon, but Stratton emphasized that the future and ultimate viability of id Software will depend on what they can deliver.
Describing an internal technical sync involving five or six technical directors, Stratton voiced confidence in their current path. As reported by Windows Central, Stratton stated: Teljes mértékben az id Tech mellett állunk; nem váltunk át az Unreal Engine-re.
He added: Tegnap megbeszélést tartottunk öt-hat technikai igazgatóval; néha az ember azt kívánja, bárcsak a közönség is részt vehetett volna ezen a technikai megbeszélésen, hogy lássa, milyen izgalom övezi ezeket a dolgokat. Nem hiszem, hogy az embereknek aggódniuk kellene; a jövőben is technológiai nagyhatalom maradunk.
Stratton contextualized the current downsizing by looking back at the studio’s historical footprint. Amikor elkezdtem, 12-en voltunk. A DOOM 3-at 19 fővel fejeztük be,
Stratton noted, acknowledging that the industry has evolved, but the core methodology of aligning team composition and technical capabilities with design ambitions remains.
Weighing the Path Forward for the DOOM Franchise
Commercial realities frame this technical defiance. DOOM: The Dark Ages did not ignite sales charts with the same velocity as its predecessor, though it could still do so in the long run as it is a high-quality game. This sales trajectory leaves the studio’s next strategic moves open to speculation. Whether id Software leans into familiar iterations or explores experimental design directions, the reliance on id Tech ensures a distinct technical identity.
The verdict on this strategy will rest on upcoming project execution. For an engine architecture that has played a defining role in the gaming industry for a long time, keeping the code in-house preserves a legacy built over decades of engineering.
