“Dozens of People Working on id Tech,” Amid Unreal Engine Rumors After Layoffs

Claims that id Tech won’t be used moving forward, with Microsoft moving over to Unreal Engine instead, are apparently false, and the situation is not as bad as some people are making out.

The July 2026 XBOX Layoffs saw 136 people let go at ID Software. This was devastating, particularly with DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC around the corner.

Affected ID Software employees described layoffs as a ‘Bloodbath.’ Rumors have suggested this could be the end for id Tech, with Microsoft moving to Unreal Engine, but a new report suggests this is false.

id Tech Still Being Used Over Unreal Engine

In a new Windows Central piece by Jez Corden, the journalist said: ‘The cuts to id Software have hit the teams that develop id Tech hard, with decades of expertise wiped out overnight. But rumors that there’s now virtually nobody working on the engine are false.’

Corden claims that there’s a ‘solid stack of expertise for id Tech, across id Software itself, and Machine Games.’

He added that Microsoft ‘has no plans to shift either studio forcibly to Unreal Engine,’ which means id tech will remain at the heart of DOOM, Wolfenstein, and other long-time franchises that have run on the bespoke engine.

Here’s an official statement given to Windows Central concerning id Tech, too:

“There are dozens of people working on id Tech across multiple locations. Reports that there’s only one person left in Texas are inaccurate.”

So, it looks like id Tech is alive and well, and should be used to prop up future shooters for the company. But the layoffs will be felt for a while.

Check out id’s newest work for DOOM: The Dark Ages.

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