id Software

id Software is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas, founded on February 1, 1991 by John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack. They created the first-person shooter genre as we know it, developed some of the most influential game engines in history, and built Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein into cultural touchstones. ZeniMax Media acquired id in 2009, and when Microsoft bought ZeniMax in 2021, the studio came under the Xbox umbrella. While primarily a developer, id has self-published and partnered with other publishers throughout its history.

How id Software Invented the First-Person Shooter

Before Doom, id made its name with Commander Keen in 1990 and then with Wolfenstein 3D in 1992, the game that laid the groundwork for the entire first-person shooter genre. Wolfenstein 3D put players behind a gun in a Nazi bunker and proved that fast, fluid 3D action could work on home PCs. It was the blueprint, and everything id built afterward refined the idea.

Doom and Quake, the Games That Defined a Genre

Doom (1993)

Doom became a cultural phenomenon when it launched in December 1993. It was ported to virtually every platform imaginable, spawned a modding community that is still active today, and was so widely imitated that the games chasing it were literally called Doom clones. Doom II: Hell on Earth followed in 1994 and added the legendary Super Shotgun. The original Doom was later inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

I remember my first time seeing Doom, it blew my mind. If Sonic was a step up from Mario, Doom was a whole other level. It didn't feel like we were playing as Doomguy, it felt more like I was Doomguy.

Quake (1996)

Quake in 1996 was the first id game built on a fully 3D engine, a genuine technical leap over the 2.5D of Doom. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails provided the sound design, and the game's multiplayer helped kickstart competitive online gaming and the entire esports lineage that followed. id received an Emmy Award in 2008 for Quake's pioneering contribution to user-modifiable games, and Quake joined Doom in the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2025.

Doom 3, Rage, and the id Tech Engines

id has always been as much an engine company as a game studio. The id Tech engines powered not just id's own games but countless others across the industry. Doom 3 in 2004 pushed real-time lighting and shadow to places the genre had not seen, leaning into horror over speed. Rage in 2011 introduced id Tech 5 and its MegaTexture technology in an ambitious open-world shooter that was technically impressive even if it did not land the same cultural impact as Doom or Quake. Across three decades, from id Tech 1 running Doom to id Tech 8 running the latest release, the studio's engine work has quietly shaped how first-person shooters look and feel.

The Modern Doom Revival

Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal (2020)

The modern Doom trilogy, published under Bethesda, is a comeback if I ever saw one. To go from Doom 3 to Doom (2016) was a major turnaround. Doom (2016) reinvented the series for a new generation with fast, brutal, mechanically sharp combat built around the Glory Kill system and a relentless forward push. Doom Eternal in 2020 sharpened that formula into something closer to a violent puzzle, demanding constant resource management and movement. Together they reestablished id as the standard-bearer for the genre it created.

Doom: The Dark Ages (2025)

Doom: The Dark Ages launched on May 15, 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and hit Xbox Game Pass on day one. A prequel set before the 2016 game, it traded Eternal's aerial acrobatics for a grounded, stand-and-fight style built around the Shield Saw, a throwable buzzsaw shield that blocks and counters. It reached 3 million players in its first week and drew positive reviews, continuing the momentum of the modern era.

id Software Today

id Software celebrated its 35th anniversary in February 2026, a remarkable run for a studio that helped invent modern gaming. That milestone came during a turbulent stretch for its parent company, as Microsoft's wider restructuring brought layoffs that affected id even as it continued supporting The Dark Ages with post-launch content. Whatever comes next, id's place in gaming history is permanent. The studio did not just make classics, it built the tools and defined the genre that a huge slice of the industry still runs on.