Id Software Vet Claims Xbox Doesn’t Understand Art Or Games

Chris Hays, the lead services programmer at id Software, has been a pillar of the studio for more than fifteen years. He is among the handful of developers who stayed on after Xbox’s sweeping July layoffs. While both Xbox and id’s leadership maintain that the studio can still deliver a Doom‑style masterpiece with a leaner team, Hays counters that claim, arguing that Microsoft simply does not grasp the artistic nuances of game development.

In a recent episode of the Well Played podcast, Hays opened up about id Software’s post‑layoff reality. The veteran, whose résumé includes Doom Eternal and Doom: The Dark Ages, was forthright about his feelings toward Xbox, the workforce cuts, and the implications for Game Pass subscribers.

“Crafting a AAA title with the same ambition as before is nearly impossible when you’re down to half the team,” Hays declared in a clip that has gone viral. “It’s not merely a matter of scaling down; entire departments that are essential have been eliminated. The reassurances that we’re still the same id and will continue as before are misleading—we’re only half the id we once were.”

Hays revealed that id Software’s internal communications have been tightly scripted, with Xbox providing pre‑approved talking points to steer the narrative. According to him, the goal is to convince the remaining developers that the studio’s future is secure, thereby preventing a mass exodus that could leave the company without a viable team.

During the interview, Hays described the reassurance as “a blanket of optimism,” echoing the public statements that the studio’s size is comparable to Doom (2016). He suggested that the company is using familiar benchmarks to project confidence and reassure stakeholders that they can deliver another hit title.

When the host challenged the comparison—pointing to the extensive list of names in the Doom credits—Hays admitted that the claim of “close to” the same size is a deliberate understatement, implying that the studio is actually smaller than the benchmark.

Hays also criticized Xbox’s Game Pass subscription model, noting that because id Software is a subsidiary of Bethesda, which in turn is owned by Xbox, every new title is available on Game Pass from day one. This means a significant portion of the Xbox and PC audience can play new releases without purchasing them outright. Despite this, Hays claims that Xbox still scrutinizes Bethesda’s sales figures, creating a paradoxical situation for the studio.

In the closing moments of the viral clip, Hays delivered a scathing critique of Xbox, asserting that the company fundamentally lacks an appreciation for art and the intricacies of video game creation.

Hays warned that halving a studio without taking into account its creative process erases the vital synergy among teams that underpins success.

July saw Asha Sharma, Xbox’s newly appointed chief, announce a staggering 1,600 job cuts for the month, followed by an additional 1,600 separations by year‑end—amounting to roughly 20 % of the division’s workforce. The sweeping reorganization also prompted the sale of long‑held studios such as Double Fine and Compulsion Games. Sharma described the upheaval as “the most significant restructure in Xbox history” in a recent internal memo.