Approximately 20 former id Software developers have established Hidden Horses, an independent, employee-owned game studio, and announced their first project, Danger Pay. The upcoming single-player arena FPS draws inspiration from the arcade shooter Smash TV and the 1987 film The Running Man, with a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign planned to support its development.
The studio announced its formation on November 11, 2026, following Microsoft’s widespread gaming division layoffs earlier in the year. Its founding team includes developers who previously worked at id Software, the studio behind Doom and Quake, bringing more than 250 years of combined game development experience to the new company.
Unlike traditional studios controlled by external investors or a corporate parent, Hidden Horses operates under a developer-owned structure in which its employees share ownership and participate in major business decisions.
The studio says this approach will allow its developers to prioritize creative decisions, long-term sustainability and gameplay quality rather than short-term financial targets.
Hidden Horses was formed following Microsoft’s July 2026 layoffs, which reportedly affected 136 employees at id Software. Several developers who had worked together for years decided to establish an independent company rather than disperse across the industry.
Among the founding team are former id Software engine programmer Dustin Land, VFX artist Todd Boyce, AI and gameplay engineer Daniel Young, producer Andrew Willis, technical designers Jordan Turner and Tim Locke, and environment artist Allison Dombek.
Land explained in the studio’s announcement that maintaining the existing team’s working relationships was a major motivation behind the decision to establish Hidden Horses. The developers also want to continue creating the old-school shooters that defined much of their previous work.
Co-founder and executive producer Andrew Willis emphasized the importance of giving developers a direct stake in the company’s success, arguing that shared ownership creates stronger commitments to the studio and its projects.
Hidden Horses also intends to govern major business decisions democratically, allowing developers across different disciplines to contribute their expertise. The company describes this structure as a way to maintain creative independence while building a sustainable development business.
Danger Pay will be the studio’s first game. Hidden Horses describes it as a fast-paced, single-player first-person shooter built around classic arena combat.
The game takes place inside a deadly televised competition controlled by a sinister but charismatic artificial intelligence host. Players will participate in violent arena encounters, drawing on the game-show survival premise of The Running Man and the relentless combat of Smash TV.
The developers are targeting traditional FPS mechanics, varied weapons, unconventional enemies and strong technical optimization.
The emphasis on optimization reflects the team’s background in developing technically demanding shooters at id Software. However, Hidden Horses has not disclosed Danger Pay’s engine, performance targets, minimum system requirements or specific gameplay systems.
The studio has also not confirmed whether the game will feature progression systems, procedural arenas or other mechanics beyond its core single-player shooter concept.
To help finance development, Hidden Horses plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign for Danger Pay. A pre-launch campaign page has been made available, allowing interested players to follow the project before crowdfunding begins.
The developers have not announced a campaign launch date, funding target, pledge tiers or potential backer rewards. The campaign has not yet begun accepting contributions.
Crowdfunding will provide an additional source of development funding as the company establishes itself independently. Hidden Horses has not disclosed its complete financing arrangements or the proportion of Danger Pay’s production budget it expects Kickstarter to cover.
The team has also outlined plans to share more information through development updates, public appearances, discussions with players and promotional material. A documentary introducing the developers and a teaser for the upcoming game have also been discussed.
For now, Danger Pay remains in an early public announcement stage. Hidden Horses has not confirmed a release date, launch window, supported platforms or pricing. A PC release has not been formally announced, despite the developers’ extensive background in PC-focused shooters.
The announcement establishes Hidden Horses as a new independent studio built around experienced FPS developers, with Danger Pay positioned as its first attempt to bring classic arena-shooter design to a new project. Further gameplay details and a clearer development timeline are expected as the studio prepares its Kickstarter campaign.
