Despite massive layoffs within the Xbox structure, which also affected id Software studio, the developers are not going to abandon their proprietary id Tech game engine in favor of Unreal Engine 5. This was stated by the studio's executive producer, Marty Stratton.
We are fully focused on id Tech and are not moving to Unreal Engine. We had a meeting yesterday with five or six technical directors, and sometimes I wish the audience could be in those meetings and see the enthusiasm with which we discuss certain things. I think people shouldn't worry — we will continue to be a technological powerhouse in the future.
Stratton also tried to explain why he remains optimistic about the studio's future. He recalled that he has been working at id Software for 26 years and witnessed times when the team consisted of only 12 people. Moreover, the developers completed work on Doom 3 with only 19 employees.
According to the producer, the size of the team itself does not determine the quality of the final result: each project is a unique combination of specialists, technologies, and creative ambitions.
As hard as it has been to see friends and colleagues leave over the last month, I truly believe in our team's ability to continue to create amazing projects.
Stratton emphasized that id Software has repeatedly gone through difficult periods and intends to continue this tradition: the studio will create new games using its own technologies, and fan support remains an important source of motivation for the developers.