id Software Confirms Its Next Game Is in Development With Hugo Martin Directing

id Software has officially confirmed that its next game is now in development. The studio shared the news during Xbox's 25th anniversary Fan Fest celebration in Seattle, while also looking ahead to the November 16 arrival of Slaughter Mode for Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations.

There is no title, genre, target platform list, release window, or footage for the unannounced project yet. However, id Software has revealed one significant detail: Hugo Martin will once again serve as game director. The new game is being developed by the company's teams in Texas and Frankfurt, and the studio says it will be a while before it is ready to show more.

For a developer with id Software's history, even that limited announcement is meaningful. The studio is one of the defining names in first-person shooters, with a legacy built around foundational releases and, more recently, a highly regarded run of modern Doom games. Martin's continued involvement also suggests the next project will be shaped by a leadership team that has already overseen several successful evolutions of the series.

A New Project, but Few Answers So Far

The confirmation came with a straightforward message: id Software is excited about its next project, described simply as a new game from its Texas and Frankfurt teams. Martin's return to the director role is the clearest indication of continuity available at this early stage.

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That wording leaves the central question unanswered. The project could be another Doom, a return to Quake, or something completely different. id Software has not identified a franchise, protagonist, setting, gameplay perspective, or any other defining feature. It has also not indicated whether the announcement is connected to a particular hardware generation or publishing plan.

As a result, speculation should remain just that. Fans have plenty of reasons to wonder about both Doom and Quake, but neither has been confirmed. The studio's announcement establishes only that a full new game is underway and that Martin is directing it.

The timing does provide some context. The upcoming Slaughter Mode update is positioned as the next step for Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations, while the newly announced game represents what comes after that work. The two developments show id Software supporting its current release while its teams also move forward on a longer-term project.

Hugo Martin Returns to the Director's Chair

Martin has been a major creative figure in the modern era of Doom. Over the last decade, id Software helped bring the franchise back from dormancy with Doom in 2016, then expanded on that renewed foundation with Doom Eternal. Doom: The Dark Ages later shifted the formula's emphasis toward a more grounded style of combat.

Those games did not simply repeat the same design. The 2016 reboot restored the speed, aggression, demon-slaying spectacle, and first-person momentum associated with the name. Doom Eternal built on that framework with a more demanding combat loop and a larger mechanical toolkit. The Dark Ages, meanwhile, explored a different combat identity while keeping the series' violent energy and emphasis on direct player action.

Martin's appointment does not reveal what id Software is making, but it does connect the mystery project to that established creative period. Whether the game ultimately carries the Doom name or heads somewhere else, it will be directed by someone closely associated with the studio's recent work.

That is particularly notable because a new project from id Software naturally comes with large expectations. The developer's influence reaches far beyond one franchise. Its history is inseparable from the early development of the first-person shooter, and every major announcement invites questions about how it might approach speed, weaponry, combat arenas, technical presentation, and player expression.

Could It Be Doom, Quake, or an Entirely New Direction?

The possibility of another Doom is easy to understand. id Software has demonstrated that the series can remain flexible without abandoning its core appeal. Its recent games have taken distinct approaches to combat pacing and structure, giving the studio room to keep exploring the Doom Slayer's world without merely recreating a past entry.

A new Quake would be another obvious possibility, though it remains unconfirmed. The franchise holds an important place in id Software's catalog and has long prompted discussion among players eager to see what a modern mainline revival might look like. A project led by Martin could invite particularly interesting questions about whether a new Quake would lean into fast arena action, darker fantasy imagery, sci-fi horror, or an approach that mixes several of those traditions.

There is also the possibility that the game belongs to neither series. The studio did not frame the project as a sequel, reboot, revival, or continuation. Calling it a new game may be deliberately broad, and it would be premature to treat that language as proof of an original property. Still, it leaves the door open.

Corporate direction may be one factor in how observers assess the odds. id Software operates under Xbox's Bethesda organization, and Bethesda leadership has recently told development teams that the company is shifting away from a planning approach focused primarily on what comes next for each individual studio. The newer emphasis is on the strongest franchises and on building content roadmaps that serve players and Bethesda overall.

That broader strategy could make established names such as Doom or Quake seem like plausible candidates. But it is not a confirmation of either one, nor does it rule out a fresh concept. Until id Software shares more, the identity of the game remains an open question.

Slaughter Mode Marks the Immediate Next Step for The Dark Ages

Before attention turns fully toward id Software's next major game, Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations still has an imminent update on the way. Slaughter Mode is scheduled for November 16 and is described as an endless single-player mode.

The mode is set to be offered as a free update for players who have purchased the Revelations DLC. Its name makes the intended appeal clear: this is a mode centered on sustained combat rather than a traditional campaign progression. For players who want to keep testing their loadouts, reactions, and familiarity with the game's combat systems, an endless format offers a direct way to do that.

Endless modes can also change how players engage with an action game after completing its story content. A campaign is generally designed around authored encounters, pacing shifts, boss fights, and major set pieces. An endurance-focused option places greater attention on repeated mastery: surviving longer, refining tactics, and pushing deeper into the game's enemy encounters.

id Software has not outlined every system or scoring detail for Slaughter Mode in this announcement. It is therefore unclear exactly how progression, difficulty scaling, rewards, or leaderboards may work, if they are included at all. What is confirmed is its endless single-player focus, its November 16 launch date, and its availability as a free update for owners of the Revelations DLC.

Why the Announcement Matters

Announcements this early are often less about immediate details than confidence and direction. id Software has not tried to sell players on a name, trailer, feature list, or launch promise it is not ready to show. Instead, it has confirmed that development is active, identified the teams involved, and named its director.

That measured approach is likely to intensify interest rather than settle it. Every major id Software project carries the weight of a celebrated history, while Martin's role gives fans a tangible link to the studio's acclaimed modern output. The lack of specifics means there is room for many theories, but the key facts are simple: a new game is underway, it is being made across Texas and Frankfurt, and Hugo Martin is directing it.

For now, the nearer date is November 16, when Slaughter Mode arrives for Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations. Beyond that, id Software's next destination remains hidden. Whether it leads back to Hell, into the world of Quake, or toward something no one is expecting, the studio has made clear that its next chapter has already begun.