Chris Hayes: id Software will no longer be able to make the same AAA games as before

Kris Hayes of id Software said the layoffs left the studio unable to make AAA games at the same scale. Entire departments and key specialists were cut — devs gone, roles empty — and he described id as "half of what it used to be," a comment delivered with noticeable doubt. Can a team that size ship large titles on the old timetables? Hayes thinks not.

He also pushed back on Xbox's public line that most jobs were preserved, claiming management was briefed on what they could say publicly (i.e., talking points from the Corp.). Hayes accused Xbox of misunderstanding how the games industry — and creative work — actually operates. Separately, he criticized Game Pass, arguing it reduces sales. His remarks came amid a wide wave of Xbox layoffs that affected thousands of employees.