id Software studio director, Tim Willits, to step down

id Software’s studio director, Tim Willits, has confirmed he’s leaving the Doom developer after 24 years at the company. In a brief tweet on his personal Twitter account, Willits said that whilst he’s been “extremely lucky to work with the best people in the industry on truly amazing games”, he has “decided to leave id Software after QuakeCon”.

After 24 years, I’ve decided to leave id Software after QuakeCon. I’ve been extremely lucky to work with the best people in the industry on truly amazing games. QuakeCon has been an unbelievable part of my journey and I look forward to seeing everyone at the Gaylord Texan. pic.twitter.com/shX5H441py

— Tim Willits (@TimWillits) July 18, 2019

“After 24 years, I’ve decided to leave id Software after QuakeCon,” Willits said via his tweet (thanks, Wireframe). “I’ve been extremely lucky to work with the best people in the industry on truly amazing games. QuakeCon has been an unbelievable part of my journey and I look forward to seeing everyone at the Gaylord Texan.

“All of the games currently in development are in very good hands, my departure will not affect any planned releases. id Software is packed full of amazing talent that will continue to develop (long into the future) some of the best shooters in the world.”

Willits added that after QuakeCon – which is taking place at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, from July 25th until July 28th – he will “announce [his] future plans, where [he is] going, and what new exciting things [he is] doing. Stay tuned”.

In other recent id Software news, on stage during Bethesda’s E3 2019 conference, id Software CTO Robert Duffy and Bethesda director of publishing James Altman announced that Bethesda’s new cloud-based streaming solution, Orion, could run 20 per cent faster with 40 per cent less bandwidth than other cloud services. It also promises better performances even with slow internet speeds and has the aim of “optimising game engines for performance in a cloud environment” and “address the complex challenges of streaming”.

The streaming tech is being developed by id Software’s engineering team and is “game- and platform-agnostic,” a press release stated, adding later on that it works with any streaming provider, too. “In contrast to game streaming services that focus on hardware solutions to stream games, Orion is game engine-based technology that optimises a game for the cloud. The Orion technology is complementary to the hardware technology in data centers built by other streaming providers, ensuring much better results when paired together.”

Orion also promises “high-speed performance with imperceptible latency” for players and an easy to integrate SDK for developers. On the steaming providers’ side, Bethesda says Orion will help them “reach larger audiences, at reduced costs, with a superior level of service.”