Oct 6
Crypton Future Media issued a statement on October 5 about King & Prince member Kaito Takahashi launching solo activities under the name "KAITO," the same name as its voice-synthesis software. The company said overlapping names and hashtags cannot be fully prevented, and asked supporters of both to respect each other. Takahashi released his first digital single, "swim?", on October 5, and the music video passed 1 million views.
Oct 6
Amazon's Prime member service Amazon Luna is giving away two PC games at no cost until November 5, 2026: the GOG.com version of DOOM (2016) and the Epic Games Store version of Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit. Claiming either title within the window keeps it permanently. The GOG build of DOOM is single-player only, with no multiplayer or SnapMap.
Jul 20
The Western game industry's historic layoffs have hit veteran studios like id Software, which lost 136 of 185 staff, and Romero Games, which shrank from 110 to 9 after a funding cut. Glen Schofield retired after failing to secure $17 million for a new project. In response, successful indie developers are launching their own publishing arms-Outersloth, Evil Landfall, Kinetic Games, Pocketpair, and Kepler Interactive-to fund peers with developer-friendly terms.
Jul 10
Microsoft's company-wide layoffs on July 6, 2026, cut approximately 4,800 employees, including 1,600 in the Xbox division. id Software, the Texas-based studio behind DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein, was hit hard: 96 of the 158 Texas layoffs from ZeniMax Media were id Software employees, and an additional 40 remote staff were let go. According to a Kotaku report citing sources, the id Tech engine team at id Software's Texas office now has only one person left. The studio responded with a statement on July 10 that its current team size is roughly the same as during the development of DOOM (2016) and that it will continue making games and technology. id Software also confirmed that QuakeCon, scheduled for August 6-9, 2026, will proceed as planned. Founders John Romero and John Carmack commented on the cuts, with Carmack suggesting id Software may have been a 'marginal business' to Microsoft. The fate of the id Tech engine, which has powered the studio's releases since DOOM and been licensed to other games like Call of Duty, remains uncertain.
Jul 1
id Software will release the campaign expansion 'DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations' on July 8 Japan time (July 7 local time). The DLC introduces the Chain Spear, a new weapon that functions as both a melee tool and a movement device with dash and grapple hook abilities. The expansion is structured in two layers: a base campaign of roughly 60 percent of the total playtime, followed by endgame content that makes up the remaining 40 percent. The base campaign includes four stages - Upper Hell, Ice Hell, Bone Hell, and Oceas - plus a hub called Sentinel. After clearing the final boss, players obtain a Master Key that unlocks endgame activities such as new routes through existing levels, high-difficulty challenge arenas called Crater Suit Encounters, a score-based Slayer Trial mode, playable classic DOOM levels, and endgame-specific upgrades. Clearing all endgame content allows access to an Uber Boss and four ultra-high-difficulty Master Arenas. The total playtime is estimated at 10 to 12 hours. Game director Hugo Martin said the DLC is 'the best DOOM experience we've ever made' and 'the culmination of the past 30 years.'
Jun 27
Sandy Petersen, co-designer of Quake, posted a thread titled 'How Quake destroyed id Software,' detailing how grueling development led to the departure of key staff. John Carmack and John Romero quoted the post and reflected on the past, drawing attention to the game's 30th anniversary.
Jun 7
During the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 on June 8, id Software and Bethesda Softworks announced the large downloadable content Revelations for DOOM: The Dark Ages. The DLC will release on July 7, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The base game, a prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, launched in May 2025 and shifted the series' combat to a heavier, more strategic style, positioning the Doom Slayer as a tank. Revelations introduces a new weapon, the Chain Spear, which can stab enemies and function as a grappling hook for dynamic movement. The story takes the Slayer to an ice-covered world where, wounded and betrayed, he gains new powers with help from mysterious allies. The trailer shown at the event previewed new areas and enemies. The DLC is also listed for Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud.