Microsoft Guts idTech Engine Team at id Software in Sweeping Xbox Layoffs

Microsoft is reportedly eliminating most or all of the engineers working on idTech, the game engine developed at id Software that has powered decades of first-person titles and influenced other engines. The cuts are part of what new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described as the largest restructuring in the division’s history — roughly 3,200 roles eliminated across FY27, including about 1,600 immediately, plus four studios being handed to new management.

Among those affected is Michael Maynard, a 20-plus-year id Software veteran, whose departure was surfaced through a shared LinkedIn post. Industry figures including Apogee founder Scott Miller have weighed in publicly as details of the studio-level impact continue to emerge.

The significance goes beyond a single studio. idTech is one of the most consequential engines in gaming, and losing its core maintainers raises real questions about the future of a technology that has shaped the genre for over thirty years. It’s a stark illustration of how broad corporate cost-cutting can hollow out deep, specialized engineering expertise that is difficult to rebuild.