Following a major restructuring at Id Software in July 2026, a group of approximately 20 veteran developers has launched an independent, employee-owned studio called Hidden Horses. The new entity plans to fund its debut project, a Stephen King-inspired shooter, through a Kickstarter campaign.
The fallout from the July 2026 Id Software restructuring
The gaming industry underwent a massive shift in July 2026 when Id Software, a pioneer of the first-person shooter genre, executed a severe round of layoffs. As the report states, this restructuring has left Id Software as a much smaller entity within the broader Xbox ecosystem. while Xbox maintains that a core crew remains to develop new technology, players estimate that only about one-third of the team responsible for modern Doom titles is still in place .
This exodus of talent highlights a broader trend of instability within large-scale gaming corporations. The restructuring at Xbox reportedly claimed thousands of roles across variouus groups, creating a vacuum that veteran developers are now attempting to fill through independent ventures. The departure of these veterans marks a pivotal moment for the legacy of Id Software and the wider shooter community.
The 250-year collective expertise of Hidden Horses
Hidden Horses is not a group of novices; the new studio boasts nearly 250 years of combined game development experience across its roster. The team is composed of former Id Software veterans, including Todd Boyce, Daniel Young, Tim Locke, and Johnmichael Quinlan , a Principal Tools Programmer with two decades of industry experience. According to the source, these creators are leveraging their deep knowledge of specialized software tools to preserve the technical innovations associated with the idTech engine lineage.
Unlike traditional corporate structures, Hidden Horses operates as an employee-owned company. This democratic approach allows every developer to act as a co-founder, ensuring that creative direction is driven by passion rather than corporate mandates. This model aims to foster a collaborative environment where every member has a say in the projects the studio pursues.
A single-player survival shooter based on The Running Man
The studio's first major project is titled Danger Pay, a single-player area shooter that draws inspiration from Stephen King's novel The Running Man. The game is designned to place players in a deadly game show setting, where they must survive being declared a public enemy while using resourceful thinking against an endless onslaught of enemies.. If the project succeeds, it offers a fresh take on survival horror within a traditional shooter framework.
Hidden Horses is positioning Danger Pay as a return to "old school" shooter roots, similar to the early days of Doom and Quake. A key part of their strategy is the explicit rejection of modern monetiaztion trends. The developers have stated they intend to avoid the "shady" microtransaction models, paid cosmetics, and skin-based economies that have become prevalent in many recent live-service titles.
The production timeline for the Danger Pay Kickstarter
While the studio has announced its intention to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund Danger Pay, several specifics remain unverified. The developers have not yet released an explicit production timeline, leaving fans wondering when the first playable builds might appear. The success of this initial funding round will ultimately determine the studio's next steps.
Questions also remain regarding how the remaining core crew at Id Software will manage their production levels following the departure of these 20 key veterans. Additionally,while the studio is currently focused on the Stephen King adaptation, it remains unclear if Hidden Horses will pursue other intellectual properties or stick to a specific niche of survival horror shooters.
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