The recent QuakeCon event saw a significant reunion of id Software's original co-founders: John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack. This gathering marked the first time the four have been together in many years, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the game that launched their careers. Despite past internal conflicts and legal disputes, the reunion appeared to be a genuinely positive experience for all involved.
John Carmack expressed his enthusiasm on X, stating, "QuakeCon was fantastic this year, especially reuniting with the original founders!" Adrian Carmack, who is not related to John Carmack, shared the sentiment, calling the weekend "one of the best times of my life" and noting it had been 20 years since he last saw John Carmack. He further elaborated that the reunion surpassed his expectations and that the founders had not all been together since 1994.
Tom Hall shared a clip of himself and the two Johns examining old Doom design notes, describing the experience as "amazing." John Romero also posted a photo on Bluesky, accompanied by the message, "Thank you so much for the best weekend ever."
Adding a touch of nostalgia, Donna Jackson, famously known as "id mom," surprised the founders at the event. Jackson was hired in 1994 for office and business management and is credited as "Office manager and id mom" in the studio's latest release, Doom: The Dark Ages.
American McGee, who was fired from id Software in 1998, also shared his reflections. He credited Carmack and Romero with transforming his life by bringing him into the game development industry from a job working on cars, significantly impacting his career and the games they went on to create together.
In a broader industry context marked by many challenges, the reunion of id Software's founders offered a heartwarming reminder of the positive aspects of the gaming world. The apparent happiness and camaraderie displayed by the original team provided a feel-good moment for fans and observers alike.