Overview
- Hidden Horses publicly launched this week as an employee-owned, democratically governed studio made up of about 20 developers who were laid off from id Software.
- The team released a short documentary and an FAQ explaining that every member holds shares and that leaders will be elected to avoid investor-driven pressures.
- Hidden Horses announced its first project, Danger Pay, as a single-player, Smash TV/Running Man–inspired arena shooter focused on gameplay and old-school FPS design.
- The studio plans to fund Danger Pay with a forthcoming Kickstarter to cover startup and development costs such as licenses, hardware, and healthcare, but campaign dates, funding target, release window, and platforms remain unannounced.
- The founders say the move responds to Microsoft’s July 2026 layoffs that affected roughly 136 id staff and aims to keep an experienced team together while prioritizing long-term creative and financial stability.