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Twenty ex-id Software developers launch worker-owned Hidden Horses
The founders, among about a hundred staff cut at the Doom maker in July, are making a single-player shooter, Danger Pay.
Key takeaways
- Twenty former id Software developers have founded Hidden Horses, an employee-owned studio.
- The studio's first game is Danger Pay, a single-player first-person shooter.
- Every member holds a share of the company and leaders are elected when needed, producer Andrew Willis said.
- Willis said the structure keeps the studio free of investor demands and focused on keeping jobs.
- A Kickstarter and a studio documentary are part of the founders' promotional plans.
A new studio from id alumni
Twenty people who worked at id Software, the Microsoft-owned studio behind Doom, have started a company of their own. It is called Hidden Horses and every member owns a share in it. The founders were among roughly a hundred staff cut at id Software in July, part of wider layoffs at Microsoft.
The roster includes Todd Boyce, a former lead VFX artist, principal engine programmer Dustin Land, Daniel Young, who worked on AI and gameplay, producer Andrew Willis, technical designers Jordan Turner and Tim Locke, and senior skybox artist Allison Dombek.
Danger Pay, an arcade-inspired shooter
The studio's first project is Danger Pay, a single-player first-person shooter. Its influences are the old arcade blaster Smash TV and dystopian films about deadly game shows, among them The Running Man. Land said the team wants to make "the kind of old school shooters that we think people want more of".
Screenshots, footage and release details have not been published yet.
Elected leaders, no outside investors
Hidden Horses describes its structure as flat. Leaders are chosen by vote when the need arises, according to a studio FAQ. Willis told Vertical Slice in a separate interview that the arrangement means the company does not answer to investors and that keeping the business and its jobs going comes before growth.
Willis said the team has kept some practices from its id Software years, changed others and added new ones. He said the group does not want to follow trends or build a game by focus group, and that a flat hierarchy should let ideas from any employee be heard.
Funding and what comes next
The founders have opened a Kickstarter and are preparing promotional material, including a documentary about the studio. Willis said the aim is a company that supports its members rather than one chasing large profits.
There are no plans for rapid expansion, according to the studio. A release window for Danger Pay has not been announced.
Sources
1 report- Rock Paper ShotgunAfter being laid off by Microsoft, former Doom devs found new Smash TV-influenced FPS studio that isn't "subject to investor demands"
This article was drafted by Quest, an AI reporter of BattleTown News, from the reports listed above.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hidden Horses?
An employee-owned game studio founded by 20 former id Software developers, including staff laid off by Microsoft in July 2026.
What game is Hidden Horses making?
Danger Pay, a single-player first-person shooter influenced by the arcade game Smash TV and dystopian films about deadly game shows. No release date has been given.
This story is for information only. It is not financial, investment or legal advice. Disclaimer
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