From the days of floppy disks to contemporary such as DOOM: The Dark Ages, creating influential franchises like Wolfenstein and Quake, pushing technical boundaries with the idTech engine and much more, we’re couldn’t be prouder of our studio’s legacy, its impact on gaming history and most importantly, the many id Software fans we’ve been able to share that excitement with over the years.Join us as we kick off the celebrations February 4 with a special anniversary stream at 3pm PT/6pm ET to celebrate the id Software’s legacy, featuring both Marty Stratton and Hugo Martin. Need a refresher? Read on for a quick timeline covering the studio’s highlights and releases over 35 years – even abridged, there’s still a lot of history to cover!
There's more: To salute the 35th anniversary, all available titles developed or published by id Software will be on sale across Steam and PlayStation from today, including 66.6% off DOOM: The Dark Ages, while titles from the Wolfenstein, DOOM, Quake and RAGE franchises remain available to play on Xbox Game Pass.
id Software Timeline
1990
Apogee Software publishes Commander Keen in ‘Invasion of the Vorticons’. Finding success in the shareware distribution model during the rise of personal computers, the game finds its way into many homes and leads its developer, a small team called “Ideas from the Deep,” to enter full-time video game development.
1991In February, id Software is officially founded in Mesquite, TX by programmers John Carmack and John Romero, designer Tom Hall and artist Adrian Carmack.
1992id Software releases Wolfenstein 3D. Players thrilled with the game’s lightning-fast action, iconic arsenal and secret-filled hallways paved the way to the burgeoning popularity of the first-person shooter (FPS) genre.
- Play Wolfenstein 3D today on Game Pass
id Software releases DOOM (1993). From shareware legend to cultural phenomenon, DOOM skyrocketed the popularity of the FPS among gamers, developers and even the casual public on top of pioneering local (and online) multiplayer deathmatches and community modding.
- Experience the DOOM franchise’s origins on modern platforms, plus enhancements, community developed Add Ons and more, in DOOM + DOOM II
id Software releases DOOM II: Hell on Earth. Building upon the success of DOOM (1993)’s shareware distribution, this best-selling sequel is among the first of id Software’s library to be distributed worldwide at major retailers at launch.
That same year, developer Raven Software releases Heretic, published and produced by id Software. Stirring up the FPS genre with elements from fantasy role-playing games, Heretic would later receive two sequels developed by Raven and published by id, Hexen: Beyond Heretic (1995) and Hexen II (1997).
- Rereleased in 2025 on modern hardware, Hexen + Heretic features two classic shooters with all-new enhancements and added content – play today!
id Software releases Quake. Sporting real-time 3D rendering, immersive gothic environments teeming with eldritch monsters, highly responsive player movement and a compliment of brutal ranged weapons, Quake served as fertile ground for the burgeoning FPS esports scene.
- Jump back into the otherworldly ‘scapes of Quake in the official rerelease, available now on modern platforms
Later that year, dozens of gamers flock to a hotel in Garland, Texas for a bring-your-own-computer gathering and Quake tournament. To this day, QuakeCon attracts thousands of fans each year for North America’s longest-running LAN party.
1997id Software releases Quake II. This ambitious sequel unveils id Software’s idTech 3 engine alongside a full story campaign introducing the Strogg, the alien menace that would continue to threaten the Quake universe in Raven Software’s Quake 4 (2005) and Splash Damage’s Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (2007).
- Blast through the campaign, team up with friends or battle it out online in the official rerelease of Quake II on modern platforms today
Also in 1997, Midway Games releases DOOM 64. Developed under id Software’s supervision, the game used a customized version of DOOM (1993)’s engine along with original demon and weapon sprites.
- Originally exclusive for the Nintendo 64 console, players can experience DOOM 64 on Game Pass, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC
id Software releases Quake III Arena. Focused primarily on online multiplayer, Quake III Arena would quickly become a mainstay at LAN parties and competitive FPS events worldwide.
2004id Software releases DOOM 3. Plunging players into a Martian facility overrun by demons, DOOM 3’s tense atmosphere is amplified by advancements made in the idTech 4 engine including specular highlighting, bump mapping and dynamic per-pixel lighting.
- Play DOOM 3 on Game Pass
id Software re-releases DOOM (1993) on Xbox Live Marketplace, collecting all four episodes along with online co-op and deathmatch for a new generation of console owners – without any cartridges, plug-ins or compact discs!
2006id Software is honored with a Technology Emmy for its development of 3D software engines, winning a second Emmy the following year in recognition of Quake’s modification abilities.
To date, id Software is the only video game developer with two distinct awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
2010id Software releases Quake Live. An updated version of Quake III Arena, Quake Live originally launched as a browser plug-in to play matches right within the World Wide Web.
- Play Quake Live today via the standalone release for PC, currently available on Steam
id Software releases RAGE. Rendered in high detail using idTech 5’s expanded MegaTexture technology, players travel through a post-apocalyptic open world with a blend of perilous vehicular battles and id’s signature FPS gameplay.
- Play RAGE on Game Pass
The Strong National Museum of Play inducts DOOM (1993) into World Video Game Hall of Fame, one of the first Hall of Fames dedicated solely to the recognition of video games.
A second id Software title would join the World Video Game Hall of Fame ten years later when Quake is inducted in 2025.
2016id Software releases DOOM (2016). The DOOM Slayer awakens inside a UAC facility swarming with demons and immediately commences ripping and tearing.
Debuting a new era for DOOM with idTech 6, players could build and share their own levels in-game with the SnapMap feature.
- Celebrate ten years of DOOM (2016), available on Game Pass, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC
DOOM VFR releases on HTC Vive and PlayStation VR systems, bringing DOOM’s signature action to the frontier of virtual reality.
- DOOM VFR is available now via Steam and PlayStation Store
id Software, in conjunction with Avalanche Software, releases RAGE 2. Players retake the Wasteland with devastating powers, upgradeable weapons and vehicular combat on the road and in the skies.
- Play RAGE 2 on Game Pass, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC
That same year, id Software is awarded a Guiness World Record for Longest-Running Developer of FPS Video Games.
2020id Software releases DOOM Eternal. The DOOM Slayer returns in this sequel to DOOM (2016), introducing idTech 7 and the 2-vs-1 BATTLEMODE multiplayer feature.
The Slayer also faces his greatest confrontation yet in The Ancient Gods downloadable content expansion, released over two parts for DOOM Eternal starting later that year.
- Play DOOM Eternal on Game Pass, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC
Quake Champions launches its 1.0 release, first available to players through early access in 2017. Warriors from across id Software’s franchises converge onto interdimensional arenas for high-speed Quake combat, supplemented by each Champion’s unique skills and abilities.
- Play Quake Champions today on Steam
id Software releases DOOM: The Dark Ages. The prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, the DOOM Slayer faces Hell’s amassed armies with his Shield Saw and mace held high, plus a cybernetic dragon and multi-story Atlan mech at his side – all brought to life with the all-new idTech 8 engine.
- Play DOOM: The Dark Ages Today! Purchase the Premium Edition to gain access to the Campaign DLC expansion, Digital Artbook & Soundtrack and Divinity Skin Pack
id Software celebrates its 35th anniversary. A year of milestones for the studio, 2026 also marks 30 years since the release of Quake (making it QuakeCon’s 30th too!), plus the 10th anniversary of DOOM (2016)’s launch.
- Crave more DOOM? There's still time to submit Late Pledges for the DOOM Arena Board Game on Kickstarter, arriving on tabletops later this year!