id Software is already working on its next game and will once again have Hugo Martin as director. The studio confirmed that the project is in the hands of its teams in Texas and Frankfurt, but cautioned that it will be some time before it can show it.
The announcement came on November 12, during Asha Sharma's posts celebrating Xbox's 25th anniversary. The Xbox CEO highlighted id Software's influence on first-person shooters and added that the team was already working on its next title.
“We’re incredibly excited about our next project, a new game from our teams in Texas and Frankfurt, with Hugo Martin once again leading the direction. It will be some time before we can share more, but we can’t wait for you to see what we’re working on.”
— id Software
The studio's response confirmed the project, but did not reveal its name, genre, platforms, or release window. It also did not identify the franchise it belongs to. The game has not been announced as a new DOOM, although several outlets have raised that possibility given Martin's track record and the franchise's prominence in id's catalog.
An announcement with no title or date
The confirmation clears up one specific question about the studio's immediate future: a new project is underway. However, id's chosen wording—that it is still too early to talk about it—leaves open the question of when there will be a formal reveal or gameplay details.
The news coincides with Xbox's anniversary and updates about other Bethesda studios. In the same communication, Bethesda said that Wolfenstein 3 is in production at MachineGames. It is a separate project: id Software and MachineGames are working on their respective games.
The relationship between the two teams has also come up in recent discussions about id. In October, co-director Marty Stratton said the studio was working with MachineGames more closely than ever. That collaboration fueled speculation about possible joint involvement in Wolfenstein 3, but Bethesda's confirmation credits that game to MachineGames, not id.
The possibility of a new DOOM remains unconfirmed
Multiplayer.it connects the announcement to rumors that, according to the outlet, began circulating in July about a new DOOM in development at id Software. It also considers that a plausible possibility given the series' popularity and the reception of The Dark Ages. For now, id has not confirmed that the project is a DOOM.
Kotaku also points to that possibility and notes that Martin directed DOOM: The Dark Ages and DOOM: Eternal. The outlet also mentions that id has developed games in the Rage, Quake, and Wolfenstein franchises, but does not present any of those names as the confirmed title of the new project.
id's latest game, DOOM: The Dark Ages, was released more than a year ago, according to PC Gamer. Its Revelations expansion arrived in July. The time elapsed since the game's release also helps put Sharma's message in context: the team already has another project, though that does not mean it is close to showing it.
Layoffs had raised questions about the studio
The confirmation comes after Xbox's staff cuts in July. Published figures differ: PC Gamer says id lost more than 130 employees, while Kotaku reports that more than 90 people were affected across several offices and describes major cuts to the id Tech team. The outlets give different counts, so their accounts do not share a single figure.
Kotaku adds that, after the layoffs, sources it consulted said id had no new games approved and that ideas were changing. The outlet notes that the announced project is at a very early stage.
In October, Stratton said there had been a deliberate effort to keep the studio viable across all its areas. PC Gamer also quoted him on working more closely with MachineGames. Hugo Martin had tried to reassure the public after the cuts and, in a livestream cited by Kotaku, said the team was about the same size as it was when it made DOOM (2016).
The outlets also differ in how they describe the state of the technical team. Kotaku reports that Microsoft denied that only one person remained working on id Tech and said that “dozens” of people were doing that work. This clarification refers to the technology team, not the total number of id Software employees.
Slaughter Mode comes to The Dark Ages on November 16
The new game announcement was shared alongside the release date for Slaughter Mode, the free mode for DOOM: The Dark Ages. Bethesda has set its arrival for November 16 and specifies that it will be available at no extra cost to those who own Revelations, the Premium Edition, or the game's Premium Upgrade.
The mode features increasingly difficult rounds with random enemies, bosses, and arenas. Bethesda describes it as a replayable experience in which rewards increase the longer you play. PC Gamer calls it a horde mode, while Multiplayer.it describes it as an endless survival mode focused on lasting as long as possible.
Multiplayer.it adds that it will include personal records, rewards such as cosmetic items, and weekly challenges. Those details refer to Slaughter Mode, not the new game id has just confirmed.
For now, the only official information about the next project is that it is being developed by the teams in Texas and Frankfurt and that Hugo Martin will direct it again. id Software has not announced when it will reveal the title or which franchise it will continue.
Sources: PC Gamer, Multiplayer.it, Bethesda, Kotaku, Shacknews
