DOOM Turns 22!

It was easily one of the boldest and most badass moments of the Nineties.

On December 10, 1993, the original DOOM was born... and since then videogames have never been the same. While id Software’s seminal shooter wasn’t the first FPS to hit the market – id’s own Wolfenstein is widely credited with launching the first-person-shooter genre – just about everyone agrees that DOOM popularized what continues to be one of the most-played genres today.

Fast-forward to today and DOOM has come of age. Now 22 years old, the series is not only a landmark in the history of games but is about to return with an all-new release in spring 2016 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. To celebrate #DOOMsday, we asked the team at id what it means to uphold such a proud legacy.

"First and foremost we take the responsibility very seriously," says Executive Producer Marty Stratton. "As much fun as we have with it, we know that many of you have a very personal relationship with DOOM, whether it’s because you played it a while ago or because you played it over the course of the last twenty years – or even a few months ago at Quakecon or in our closed alphas." For Stratton this means not just thinking about what id wants to deliver, but also what the fans expect from a DOOM game – a balancing act that he fully embraces. "It’s really fun to work on something that has that much meaning for people," he says.

Age Required

Others at id share this same reverence for DOOM. Indeed, the crimson, gore-spattered sheen hasn’t diminished even for those who’ve been with the studio for almost two decades, like Chief Technology Officer Robert Duffy. "I’ve been at id for a long time, since the late Nineties," Duffy says. "DOOM, for me personally, was the first game that made me think, Holy $%@#. Amazing. Trying to get that feeling back for us – to get that feeling back for fans – it’s daunting but it’s a lot of fun."

id Software isn’t just known for DOOM. The studio is legendary thanks to its library of big games along with the cutting-edge tech that powers them. This is a great source of pride for long-timers and newcomers alike, including General Manager Garrett Young. "I’ve been at the studio for two years now, but I’ve been a fan of id and id’s games for over 20 years," Young says. "So to come in and be a part of that is big."

Art Director Hugo Martin, who joined id in 2013, shares everyone’s enthusiasm for DOOM. Like any artist, he’s hoping to make his mark on the game, helping to design a DOOM that’ll resonate with all players – but he’s also making sure he honors the rich legacy of DOOM. "I'm a huge fan of DOOM," Martin says. "The opportunity to tweak the characters and try some new things will always be there. But for me it was about capturing that over-the-top personality of the original."

That’s because DOOM, according to Young, is a key part of gaming’s history. “Everyone I talk to – in the industry or in the community – has a DOOM story,” he says. “It’s ours, but it’s also the world’s.”

As development hits the homestretch on DOOM, everyone on the team can’t wait to get DOOM into the hands of both longtime fans and new players. Yes, it captures the essence of the original, but this DOOM is also something completely new and modern – with a blazingly fast single-player campaign, intensely competitive multiplayer and an intuitive content-creation / sharing tool called SnapMap. It’s a big job on a very big game, but everyone at id is confident they’ll deliver something special – both for fans and new players alike.

"The team has done an amazing job," Duffy smiles. "I’m really proud of everybody."

Be sure to share your DOOM stories on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #DOOMsday. Will also celebrate DOOM’s anniversary with more DOOM features coming soon, including a closer look at the gameplay along with the teams who are building DOOM for a new generation of players.