id Software Is Already Working on Its Next Game, With Hugo Martin Directing Again

The id Software next game is real, and it is already in production. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed it on November 12 during Xbox's 25th anniversary celebrations, and id Software followed up with a reply of its own. The studio behind DOOM and Quake has a new project underway, directed once again by Hugo Martin.

That is almost everything we know. There is no title, no genre, no release window, and no word on whether the project is another DOOM entry. But after a brutal summer for the studio, the confirmation alone is the news.

What We Know About the id Software Next Game

Sharma's post on X paired the announcement with a date for DOOM: The Dark Ages players. "Slaughter Mode comes to DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations on Monday, and the team is already working on its next game," she wrote. id Software replied within the same thread: "We're incredibly excited about our next project, a new game from our teams in Texas and Frankfurt, with game direction once again by Hugo Martin. It'll be some time before we're ready to share more but we can't wait for you to see what we're working on."

Two details in that reply matter. First, the project spans both of id's teams, in Texas and Frankfurt, which suggests this is the studio's main effort rather than a side project. Second, Martin is directing. He directed all three modern DOOM games, DOOM (2016), DOOM Eternal, and DOOM: The Dark Ages, and wrote on the past two. His return points to continuity with the formula that carried the series since 2016 rather than a fresh start with a new creative lead.

The announcement came as part of Xbox's 25th anniversary week, which also brought the Wolfenstein 3 reveal and Halo Firefight news covered earlier. It was a deliberate choice to put id's future on stage during the celebration, and it landed as one of the week's biggest stories despite saying almost nothing concrete. GameReactor's report and GamesHub's coverage both confirm the same core facts: no title, no genre, no window.

The Context: A Rough Summer at id

This is the first official word on id Software's future since Xbox's mass layoffs in July 2026. The cuts hit the DOOM developer hard, reportedly costing 136 roles, just two days after the Revelations expansion launched. In a statement after the cuts, the studio said its team had been reduced to roughly the size it was when it made DOOM in 2016, and confirmed QuakeCon would still go ahead in August as planned.

That context is why a two-sentence confirmation carries weight. The layoffs raised real questions about whether id would remain the lead studio on its own franchise, or whether its next game would be handed elsewhere. Sharma's post and id's reply answer that: id is still id, Martin is still directing, and the studio's next game is being built in-house.

It also fits a pattern from October's Xbox showcase, where Microsoft has been keen to show its first-party studios have a future after a year of cuts and cancellations across the division. A short "we're working on it" from id does more reassurance work than a polished trailer would.

Slaughter Mode Arrives November 16

The playable half of the announcement lands first. Slaughter Mode is a free update for DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations, arriving Monday, November 16. It is a roguelike-style horde mode with 19 arenas drawn from the base game and the Revelations expansion, and players can bring their expansion gear into it, including the Chain Spear.

DOOM: The Dark Ages launched in May 2025 to strong reviews, and the Revelations campaign expansion followed on July 7, 2026. Slaughter Mode is the next dated step for the series, and it reads like a closing chapter for The Dark Ages before the studio turns its full attention to whatever comes next.

Doom, Quake, or Something New?

The obvious guess is another DOOM. It is id's biggest franchise, Martin has directed three of them in a row, and The Dark Ages ended with the series in rude health. But the studio has said nothing, and the smart money stays cautious. A new Quake has been overdue for years, and the franchise still has a vocal fanbase waiting for a proper single-player return. MachineGames is already handling Wolfenstein, so that door is closed for id.

There is also the wilder option: something entirely new. id built its name on DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein, but the studio has not shipped an original IP in decades. A fresh concept from Martin's team would be the most interesting outcome, even if it is the least likely.

Whatever it is, expect a long wait. id said plainly that it will be some time before it is ready to share more, and a project announced this early, with no title attached, is years from shelves. The Slaughter Mode update on November 16 is the thing to play while the wait starts.