id Software is working on its next game. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed it during Xbox's 25th anniversary on November 12, and id posted about it the same day. It's a new game from its teams in Texas and Frankfurt, and Hugo Martin is directing again. No name, no date, nothing to look at yet.
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The news lands after a rough year for the studio behind DOOM: The Dark Ages. id was hit hard by the Xbox layoffs, and on the same day, a group of former id developers announced a brand new studio of their own.
What id actually said
Here's id's own post, word for word: "We're incredibly excited about our next project, a new game from our teams in Texas and Frankfurt, with game direction once again by Hugo Martin. It'll be some time before we're ready to share more but we can't wait for you to see what we're working on."
Xbox Wire's anniversary recap backs it up, saying Sharma "confirmed that id Software's next project is now in development."
So that's three things we know. It's a new game, not an expansion. Both of id's studios are on it. And Hugo Martin is in charge. Everything else, including whether it's even a Doom game, is unknown. id didn't say, and "some time" is studio speak for don't expect a trailer next week.
Who's Hugo Martin?
If you've played modern Doom, you've played his work. Martin was creative director on the 2016 Doom reboot, then game director on DOOM Eternal in 2020 and DOOM: The Dark Ages in 2025. He's also the guy who used to show up in id's gameplay reveals explaining how the combat works, so a lot of fans know his face.
The layoffs
This is the part that makes the news a bit bittersweet. id was badly hit by the Xbox layoffs earlier this year. According to VGC, 136 workers lost their jobs in total, and one id developer claimed the studio had been "relegated to support studio size."
So when Xbox says id is making a new game, it's fair to wonder how big that team is now. Nobody at Xbox or id has said how many people are working on it.
Ex-id devs start Hidden Horses
On the same day, former id Software developers announced their own studio, called Hidden Horses. VGC says it's made up of more than 20 ex-id devs who were caught up in those layoffs.
Their first game is a single-player FPS called Danger Pay, and they're crowdfunding it. That's about all that's public so far. No platforms, no release window, no price yet. Still, 20-plus people who worked on modern Doom making a single-player shooter is the kind of thing shooter fans will keep an eye on.
This happens a lot after big layoffs. Teams that worked well together stick together and start fresh under their own name.
DOOM isn't done in the meantime
If you're still playing The Dark Ages, there's something coming this weekend. Slaughter Mode arrives on November 16. It's escalating rounds of random enemies, bosses and arenas, with rewards that stack the more you play. It's free for anyone who owns the Revelations DLC, the Premium Edition or the Premium Upgrade.
And if you never got into the series, the old stuff has never been easier to pick up. The DOOM + DOOM II release puts the 1993 original and its sequel together.
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Busy week for Xbox's shooter studios
This came out alongside the big one, Wolfenstein 3, which MachineGames is making. Both id and MachineGames are part of Bethesda, so that's two of Bethesda's shooter studios confirming new games on the same day. Xbox also brought 21 more original Xbox games to PC for the anniversary.
We'll update this when id names the game or Hidden Horses shares more on Danger Pay.
FAQ
Is id Software making a new game?
Yes. id and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed it on November 12, 2026. It's from id's Texas and Frankfurt teams, directed by Hugo Martin.
Is it a new Doom?
id hasn't said. No name or date has been announced.
What is Hidden Horses?
A new studio of more than 20 former id Software developers. Its first game is a single-player FPS called Danger Pay, which it's crowdfunding.
When is DOOM: The Dark Ages Slaughter Mode out?
November 16, free for Revelations DLC, Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade owners.
Sources
- VGC: id Software confirms it's working on a new game after layoffs videogameschronicle.com
- Xbox Wire: Thanks for 25 Years, Xbox Players news.xbox.com
Written by the WIZY creator
A lifelong gamer and Warhammer painter, and the maker of the WIZY RPG game. I write about games, hardware, Warhammer and crypto in plain English, and I check every fact against its source.
