id Software Reportedly Weighed a New Perfect Dark and a John Wick-Style Shooter Before Xbox Layoffs

A studio full of ideas, cut short

id Software, the legendary team behind Doom, was reportedly buzzing with fresh ideas right before Microsoft's layoffs reshaped the studio. According to a new report from GamesBeat (via IGN), the Doom makers were exploring a handful of exciting pitches for future games when the cuts landed.

The report says that 92 of the studio's 185 full-time employees were let go. That is more than half the team, and it has left a big question mark over the projects that were still in the early idea stage.

What was on the table

The most eye-catching pitch was a revival of Perfect Dark, the sci-fi spy shooter that hasn't seen a brand-new entry in a very long time. Because id sits inside Microsoft's stable of studios, the team could potentially tap into franchises that other teams weren't actively working on, and Perfect Dark was reportedly one of them.

Another idea was an original game inspired by John Wick, leaning into stylish, close-quarters gunplay mixed with martial-arts flair. If you have ever wanted a shooter that captures that slick, action-movie energy, this one sounds like it would have been a treat.

The report also points to more Doom experiments, including ideas that would expand the series in new directions. None of these projects had been locked in as finished games, so it is best to treat them as concepts the team was excited about rather than confirmed titles.

Why this matters for Xbox fans

id Software has been one of the most reliable names on Xbox, most recently with Doom: The Dark Ages and its Revelations expansion. Hearing that the studio was overflowing with ambitious concepts makes the scale of the layoffs feel even heavier for fans who love where this team can go.

It also raises fair questions about how a smaller id can carry forward everything it was dreaming up. A leaner team simply cannot chase every idea at once, so some of these pitches may quietly fade while others could resurface down the road.

The bigger picture

For now, none of this is official from Microsoft or id Software, and plans at this early stage change all the time. Still, it is a fascinating peek behind the curtain at a studio that clearly still has big dreams. Whether a new Perfect Dark or that John Wick-flavored shooter ever happens, it is a reminder that id's creative spark is very much alive, even during a tough chapter.

We will be keeping an eye out for anything official, and cheering for the talented people affected to land somewhere great.

Image: Asim18 / CC BY 3.0, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Xbox_360_wired_controller_1.jpg