The development of Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations expansion was an intensely demanding period, with a former id Software producer describing it as the “worst crunch” in the series’ history. Andrew Willis, who served as a producer on the project, shared his experiences on the Kiwi Talkz podcast, detailing extreme working hours and personal sacrifices made to meet the expansion’s tight deadline.
Intense Development Schedule for Revelations
Willis revealed that the team faced a punishing schedule, with much of the Revelations expansion being developed in an astonishingly short timeframe of three to four months. He stated that for two months straight, he was working at least 12 hours every day, and on some days, he even hit 17 hours. This condensed development cycle for an expansion estimated to be around six hours long stands in stark contrast to the approximately five years it took to create the base game, which offers about 20 hours of gameplay.
The original plan was for an even shorter development period, but the expansion reportedly suffered from feature creep, with new elements being introduced as development progressed. This added complexity to an already compressed schedule.
Personal Sacrifices and Industry Shock
The pressure to deliver Revelations at a high quality, as expected by both players and the development team, led to significant personal sacrifices. Willis recounted days where he did not see his son at all, highlighting the extent of his commitment to completing the project. He emphasized that this experience was shared by many on the team, including seasoned professionals with extensive backgrounds in both the game and film industries.
According to Willis, even veterans with decades of experience in game development and Hollywood were taken aback by the severity of the crunch. “We had people that worked in Hollywood for 20 years and game development for 10 and said that this was the worst crunch they’d been a part of,” he stated.
Crunch Culture and Perceived Pressure
While Willis clarified that id Software did not officially mandate crunch, he suggested that the sheer volume of work required within the given timeframe created an environment where intense overtime was almost unavoidable. “You get loaded up with 60 hours of work in a week, and what do you do?” he questioned, describing the situation as “pseudo-induced crunch” when aiming for the expected level of quality.
This intense development period for Revelations occurred shortly before a significant portion of the id Software workforce was laid off. Willis was among the 136 employees let go by Xbox as part of broader cuts affecting Microsoft’s gaming division, which saw approximately 1,600 jobs eliminated across various studios. The timing was particularly jarring, as the Revelations team reportedly learned of the layoffs the day before the expansion’s launch.
“You spend so much of your energy and hours of your life, and sacrifice a bunch of things to get something out of the door, and then they lay you off,” Willis commented on the surreal experience. “It’s such a wild feeling.”
Context and Studio Outlook
The circumstances surrounding the rushed development and subsequent layoffs have raised questions about the internal pressures at id Software leading up to the release of Doom: The Dark Ages. While sales figures suggest the game sold fewer copies than Doom Eternal, this was anticipated given its day-one availability on Game Pass. Despite the recent workforce reductions and the challenging development cycle for Revelations, id Software studio director Hugo Martin has maintained that the studio remains in a stable position.
The revelations from Andrew Willis shed light on the human cost behind game development, even for highly anticipated titles from storied studios like id Software. The intense crunch experienced during the creation of Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations underscores the ongoing challenges faced by developers in meeting ambitious project goals under tight deadlines.
