Former id Software developers found new studio Hidden Horses and prepare Running Man-style shooter Danger Pay

To fund the project's development, the studio has already launched a campaign on Kickstarter.

More than 20 former id Software employees who were recently laid off have come together to found the independent studio Hidden Horses. The team is already working on its debut game—first-person shooter Danger Pay, which takes place within a deadly television show.

Hidden Horses positions itself as an employee-owned studio. The developers state that they want to make games guided by a drive for creativity and the pursuit of compelling ideas, rather than short-term financial goals or chasing market trends.

The developers shared the story behind the founding of Hidden Horses in a dedicated documentary video. In it, they shared details about the layoffs at id Software, discussed the aftermath of the cuts, and explained how former colleagues decided to join forces to launch their own company.

Producer Andrew Willis believes that after the layoff of so many seasoned professionals, an opportunity emerged to assemble a team capable of continuing to create the games beloved by fans.

According to him, there is market demand for such projects, and the developers themselves, who possess the necessary expertise, are now free to work on new games. Audience and critical reception to the Revelations expansion for Doom: The Dark Ages gave him additional confidence. Willis noted that many players praised the DLC and even called it the best entry in the modern Doom trilogy that began in 2016.

Technical artist Todd Boyce also emphasized that Hidden Horses holds an important advantage over many new studios: its team members have worked together for roughly a decade. They know each other’s capabilities well, understand the workflows, and know how to build games together.

In the developer’s view, the opportunity to chart the project’s creative direction independently and take part in shaping their own company makes what is happening especially exciting for the entire team.

The debut game from Hidden Horses will be Danger Pay—a first-person shooter set within a deadly game show. Among their sources of inspiration, the developers cite the film “The Running Man” and the arcade game Smash TV.