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id Software celebrates 30th anniversary as it looks to what's ahead

The legendary development studio celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Donovan Erskine

February 1, 2021 3:45 PM

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So many of today’s FPS games were either directly or indirectly influenced by the Doom and Quake franchise. Behind these titles is id Software one of the most iconic and impactful game developers of all time. This date marks a special day for the company, as id Software is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Happy birthday!

Id Software was founded on February 1, 1991 by John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack. The studio’s first title was Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons, and the company went on to release several smaller titles over its first couple of years. What really catapulted id Software’s success, and what would eventually become pillars of the gaming world, was Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake.

Despite the fact that so many of its key members are no longer at the company, id Software remains one of the most renowned studios in gaming. The rebooted Doom franchise has seen much acclaim, with the 2016 game taking home our Game of the Year Award. id Software’s most release, Doom Eternal is one of the most graphically impressive games in recent memory, taking home a GOTY nomination at The Game Awards last year.

Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention our own close attachment to id Software. After all, Shacknews was founded as a Quake website. Our first ever long read from David Craddock, Rocket Jump: Quake and the Golden Age of First-Person Shooters is all about one of the studio's most beloved titles. The long read also features exclusive interviews with original id Software developers. id Software recognized the anniversary with a social media post earlier today.

Thank you to our amazing community for the last 30 years. pic.twitter.com/odxRATredH

— id Software (@idSoftware) February 1, 2021

30 years later, and id Software still has so much ahead of it. The recent acquisition by Bethesda could mark a new era for the company, and we’re excited to see what they do next. Happy birthday, id Software!

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_