Former id Software developers form their own employee-owned shooter studio in the wake of Microsoft's mass layoffs
Hidden Horses, co-founded by "approximately 20" former id devs, is planning a Kickstarter campaign to help fund its first project.
In July 2026, Microsoft downsized its Xbox division, laying off around 136 id Software developers. These former employees, who have over 250 years of combined game development experience, have now founded Hidden Horses, an employee-owned game studio. Dustin Land, co-founder and engine programmer, stated that what made their time at id Software special was the people they worked with.
Hidden Horses aims to be a democratically governed company that prioritizes long-term health, longevity, and innovative gameplay over short-term growth and shady monetization. The studio plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign for their first game, a singleplayer arena shooter called Danger Pay, set in a televised ultraviolent game show inspired by 1987's The Running Man and 1990s' Smash TV.
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