Former id Software developers launch Hidden Horses studio

More than 20 former id Software developers affected by Xbox layoffs have formed Hidden Horses, an independent, employee-owned studio based in Dallas, Texas, according to reporting from GamesIndustry.biz. The new studio says its employee-owned structure gives developers an ownership stake rather than treating them as a temporary production cost.

Hidden Horses is preparing its first project, Danger Pay, a single-player first-person shooter built around a deadly gameshow. The studio describes it as a high-octane, gameplay-focused FPS, with the project’s official Kickstarter page positioning the campaign as a way to support the business and the game’s development.

The Kickstarter campaign is currently marked “Launching soon”. The page does not yet provide a verified release date, price, platform list or funding target, so there is no launch window to report. It does, however, let visitors sign up for a notification when the campaign goes live.

The project arrives at a difficult moment for established game developers. Hidden Horses is pitching independence and shared ownership after layoffs at a major publisher, while its debut game appears designed to draw on the team’s experience making fast, single-player shooters. That background gives Danger Pay a clear point of interest, but it is not the same as a finished product or a confirmed release plan.

For now, the concrete news is the studio formation and the announcement of its first game. The next meaningful update will be the Kickstarter launch itself, when Hidden Horses should reveal its funding goal, development schedule and the platforms it intends to support.

Our opinion

Hidden Horses has chosen a sensible first pitch: a recognisable shooter format, a strong hook and an ownership model that gives the studio’s formation genuine editorial weight. The interesting question is whether Danger Pay can turn that premise into a distinctive game rather than simply promising the return of a familiar FPS formula. Until the Kickstarter page supplies a target and a roadmap, the studio’s structure is the firmest part of this announcement; the game remains an intriguing early concept rather than a project with a proven delivery plan.