After being laid off by Microsoft, former Doom devs found new Smash TV-influenced FPS studio that isn't "subject to investor demands"

Back in July, Doom developers id Software laid off around a hundred people as part of wider Microsoft blood-letting. Now, a few of those devs have founded a new employee-owned studio, Hidden Horses. Their first project is Danger Pay, a single-player FPS influenced by ancient arcade blaster Smash TV (pictured) and dystopian movies such as deadly gameshow fable The Running Man – itself an influence on Smash TV. Hidden Horses have 20 id Software alumni on the books, including former lead VFX artist Todd Boyce, principal engine programmer Dustin Land, senior AI and gameplay engineer Daniel Young, producer Andrew Willis, senior technical designer Jordan Turner, principal technical designer Tim Locke, and senior skybox artist Allison Dombek. They're looking to make "the kind of old school shooters that we think people want more of," in Land's words. Read more