John Carmack: my 'Microsoft will probably be a good steward' line 'isn't aging well' after id layoffs
John Carmack said his earlier belief that Microsoft would be a good steward of id Software "isn't aging well" after Microsoft cut 136 roles at the Doom studio. He told X he's saddened but not outraged and suggested id may have been a marginal business within Microsoft, echoing reports that Minecraft profits subsidized other studios.
John Carmack reacted on X to major layoffs at id Software, the studio he co-founded in 1991, after Microsoft cut 136 roles — reports say more than half the studio’s headcount. The news comes as id released an expansion for Doom: The Dark Ages this week. ‘‘My ‘Microsoft will probably be a good steward of the brand’ statement isn’t aging well,’’ Carmack wrote, noting the cuts will ‘‘dampen the mood’’ at a founder reunion at QuakeCon next month. He added he’s ‘‘saddened, but I can’t muster anger or outrage,’’ and said he suspects id was a marginal business for Microsoft. Carmack referenced reporting that Minecraft revenues have been supporting other Xbox studios.
