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id Software

Video game developer · United States · Active

id Software

Founded in February 1, 1991

63
games developed
15
games published
0
in development
39
employees

History of id Software

John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall and Adrian Carmack were working at Softdisk in Shreveport, Louisiana, when in 1990 Carmack found a way to scroll graphics smoothly on the PC. That led to Commander Keen, released as shareware by Apogee in December 1990. After their first royalty cheque they set up on their own, founding id Software on 1 February 1991; the name comes from Ideas from the Deep, their group at Softdisk.

After a spell in Madison, Wisconsin, the company moved to Mesquite, Texas, in 1992. Wolfenstein 3D (1992) was its breakout hit, and Doom (1993) popularised the first-person shooter and PC gaming in general. Quake (1996), id's first true 3D shooter, with deathmatch over the internet, was the last big project of the original team: tension between Carmack and Romero led Romero to leave after its release.

Quake II (1997), Quake III Arena (1999) and Doom 3 (2004) followed. Each game introduced a new in-house engine that was then licensed to other developers, and John Carmack open-sourced most of them under the GPL. In June 2009 ZeniMax Media, owner of Bethesda Softworks, acquired id, which moved to Richardson, Texas, in 2011 and released Rage that year. Carmack, the last founder still there, left for Oculus VR in November 2013.

The fourth game in the series, Doom (2016), was followed by Doom Eternal (2020) and Doom: The Dark Ages (2025). id opened a second studio in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2015, and ZeniMax has been part of Microsoft since March 2021.

Milestones

  1. 1990

    Commander Keen, published by Apogee.

  2. 1991

    id Software is founded.

  3. 1992

    Wolfenstein 3D.

  4. 1993

    Doom.

  5. 1996

    Quake; John Romero leaves the company.

  6. 2009

    ZeniMax Media buys the studio.

  7. 2013

    John Carmack, the last founder, leaves.

  8. 2016

    Doom, the fourth game in the series.

  9. 2021

    Microsoft buys ZeniMax.

Its best-known games

  • Doom

    Doom

    2016 · PS4 · PC · XONE

  • Doom

    Doom

    1993 · Linux · DOS

  • Doom Eternal

    Doom Eternal

    2020 · Stadia · Series X|S · PS4

  • Doom II: Hell on Earth

    Doom II: Hell on Earth

    1994 · zod · PC · Mac

  • Doom 3

    Doom 3

    2004 · XBOX · Linux · PC

  • Quake III Arena

    Quake III Arena

    1999 · Linux · PC · Mac

  • Quake

    Quake

    1996 · Linux · PC · Mac

  • Quake II

    Quake II

    1997 · Linux · PC · Mac

  • Rage

    Rage

    2011 · PS3 · PC · Mac

  • Rage 2

    Rage 2

    2019 · Stadia · PS4 · PC

  • Doom: The Dark Ages

    Doom: The Dark Ages

    2025 · Series X|S · PC · PS5

  • The Ultimate Doom

    The Ultimate Doom

    1995 · PC · iOS · Mac

Every game it has developed (63)

2025

  • Doom: The Dark Ages Series X|S, PC, PS5

2024

  • TNT: Evilution Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5
  • Master Levels for Doom II Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5
  • Doom Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5
  • Doom II Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5

2023

  • Quake II Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5

2022

  • Quake Champions PC

2021

  • Rescue Rover Collection PC, DOS

2020

  • Doom Eternal Stadia, Series X|S, PS4, PC

2019

  • Doom PS4, Android, PC, iOS
  • Master Levels For Doom II PS4, PC, iOS, XONE
  • Quake II RTX Linux, PC
  • Rage 2 Stadia, PS4, PC, XONE

2017

  • Doom VFR PSVR, Steam VR
  • Doom Switch

2016

2012

  • Doom 3 PS3, PC, X360
  • Wolfenstein 3D browser

2011

  • Rage PS3, PC, Mac, X360
  • Quake Arena Arcade X360, XONE

2010

  • Rage HD iOS
  • Quake Live PC
  • Doom II X360

2008

  • Wolfenstein RPG iOS, Mobile

2006

  • Doom X360
  • Orcs & Elves NDS, Mobile

2005

  • The Ultimate Doom XBOX
  • Doom RPG Mobile

2004

2001

  • Doom GBA

1999

  • Quake III Arena Linux, PC, Mac, X360
  • Quake II N64

1998

  • Quake N64

1997

  • Quake II Linux, PC, Mac, Amiga
  • Doom Saturn

1996

  • QuakeWorld PC
  • Doom 95 PC
  • Quake Linux, PC, Mac, DOS
  • Doom 3DO

1995

  • Wolfenstein 3D 3DO
  • Doom SNES, SFAM
  • The Ultimate Doom PC, iOS, Mac, DOS

1994

  • Wolfenstein 3D: Second Encounter Mac
  • Wolfenstein 3D: Third Encounter Mac
  • Doom Jaguar
  • Wolfenstein 3D Jaguar
  • Doom Sega32
  • Doom II: Hell on Earth zod, PC, Mac, DOS
  • Wolfenstein 3D SNES, SFAM

1993

  • Doom Linux, DOS

1992

  • Spear of Destiny iOS, DOS
  • Wolfenstein 3D DOS

1991

  • Commander Keen in Keen Dreams Linux, Android, PC, Mac
  • Rescue Rover 2 DOS
  • Rescue Rover DOS
  • Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion DOS, Mobile
  • Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy! DOS
  • Commander Keen in Aliens Ate My Baby Sitter! DOS
  • Catacomb 3-D DOS
  • Hovertank 3D DOS
  • Shadow Knights DOS

1990

  • Dangerous Dave in Copyright Infringement DOS
  • Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons DOS

Games it has published without developing them (15)

  • Heretic 1994
  • Hexen: Beyond Heretic 1995
  • Doom 1995
  • Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders 1996
  • Hexen: Beyond Heretic 1997
  • Hexen 1997
  • Hexen 1997
  • HacX: Twitch 'n Kill 1997
  • Hexen II 1997
  • Return to Castle Wolfenstein 2001
  • Quake 4 2005
  • Doom II 2005
  • Enemy Territory: Quake Wars 2007
  • Doom Resurrection 2009
  • Doom II RPG 2009