Doom developer id Software had been exploring a new Perfect Dark game before being hit with major layoffs as part of Xbox’s restructuring.
According to a report from GamesBeat, id Software, the developer behind the Doom series, had been exploring several potential future projects, including a brand-new entry in Microsoft’s dormant Perfect Dark franchise, before the studio was hit by major layoffs as part of Xbox’s restructuring. Approximately half of the developer’s workforce was let go this week, despite not being among the studios shortlisted for closure or sale. The cuts reportedly affected more than 90 employees, coming just one day after the release of the standalone Revelations expansion for Doom: The Dark Ages.
Before the layoffs, developers were reportedly brainstorming multiple concepts for what could become the studio’s next major title. Among those ideas was a new Perfect Dark game, with the project reaching the concept art stage. The report states that the idea gained traction internally after a presentation was shown within the studio. The happened after Microsoft’s cancellation of The Initiative’s Perfect Dark reboot and the closure of the Santa Monica-based studio in September, 2025. According to Gamesbeat, id Software had access to Microsoft’s unused intellectual properties if they were no longer actively being developed elsewhere.
The report also states that the Perfect Dark concept was just one of several ideas under consideration. Another proposal, codenamed Fury, was described as an original sci-fi noir action game inspired by the “Gun Fu” combat style popularized by the John Wick films. Other concepts reportedly included a Western-inspired robot survival game known internally as Ironwood, as well as multiplayer and cooperative expansions for Doom.
One former employee described the scale of the cuts by saying, “It’s a bloodbath. I was blindsided by it. The scale of it.” Another laid-off developer expressed concern about the studio’s future, stating, “I’m not convinced there is a viable way forward. It feels like a bunch of knee-jerk responses.” While Doom: The Dark Ages was played by millions of players via Xbox Game Pass, GamesBeat reports that the game’s sales were weak, leaving it vulnerable to layoffs.
