Hugo Martin Returns as Director of Id Software’s Next Game

id Software confirmed on November 12, 2026 that its teams in Texas and Frankfurt are making a new game, with Hugo Martin again handling game direction. It will be some time before the studio is ready to share more. The disclosure arrived alongside the upcoming Slaughter Mode update for DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations.

Slaughter Mode’s Rules and Rewards

Bethesda scheduled Slaughter Mode for November 16, 2026. It comes at no additional cost to owners of the Revelations DLC, DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Edition or the Premium Upgrade.

The mode is an endless combat challenge built around escalating rounds of randomized encounters, bosses and arenas. Players pursue personal-best scores as the encounters change between runs, with completed rounds awarding Skulls that feed into its reward system.

Those Skulls can unlock Slayer skins exclusive to Slaughter Mode, weapon skins usable in all modes and profile icons. Players can also unlock tracks from Andrew Hulshult’s IDKFA soundtrack for use in Slaughter Mode and the Ripatorium. Weekly challenges provide additional opportunities to earn rewards.

At round checkpoints, players can Secure their current Skulls against death or activate Risk It for a multiplier that increases the Skulls they can earn during the run. Dying while Risk It is active forfeits all unsecured Skulls. Completed checkpoints also become starting points for later runs, allowing players to resume from later encounters rather than always beginning at the start.

Martin’s Previous DOOM Role

Martin previously served as game director on DOOM: The Dark Ages, which id Software presented during the January 23, 2025 Xbox Developer Direct. The game is a prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal and the third installment in the modern DOOM series. Its listed launch date was May 15, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam and PlayStation 5, with day-one Game Pass availability.

Its presentation focused on combat, exploration and story, with a dark-fantasy and science-fiction setting, less linear levels and an expanded melee and ranged arsenal. Combat emphasized grounded action, melee abilities and the return of strafing. The Shield Saw could block incoming fire, attack enemies and help traverse the environment.

Exploration gave players more freedom over which areas to visit and objectives to pursue. The story led into the Slayer’s testaments in DOOM (2016), serving as an origin story for the two earlier games and connecting Martin’s previous directorial work to the broader modern series.

For current DOOM players, Slaughter Mode is the next scheduled addition, with defined eligibility and a risk-based scoring system. Behind that update, id Software’s confirmation establishes the leadership and development teams for its next game, with Martin’s returning role providing continuity in creative leadership after DOOM: The Dark Ages.