id Software’s studio director, Tim Willits, has announced that he is leaving the studio after 24 years. The news came via a recent post from Willits on Twitter, and he will be leaving the studio after QuakeCon which takes place later this week from July 25-28.
First joining the studio back in 1995, Willits served as a level designer on many of the studio’s big games at the time including the Quake series and, the updated version of the original Doom, The Ultimate Doom. He would then go to serve as the lead designer for Doom 3 which released in 2004. In 2009, id Software was acquired by ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda, and Willits would become studio director for the studio during 2012. He has since overseen the return of both the Quake and Doom series to prominence with Quake Champions and Doom (2016) respectively.
In a followup tweet, Willits stated that his imminent departure will not have an impact on the studio’s development and release plans for their future titles, and that he has faith in the people that are still at the studio to make amazing games.
Willits did state that he plans to announce what’s next for him after QuakeCon and encouraged those who want to know to “stay tuned.” With Willits announcing he is stepping down, it will be interesting to see what’s next for the studio. id Software’s next game, Doom Eternal, is set to release later this year on November 22.