John Carmack, the programmer and developer known for creating both Doom and Quake, officially leaves id Software.
When speaking with IGN, id studio director, Tim Willits, explained that Carmack completed his work on id Tech 5 and resigns from id Software without affecting other projects.
"John’s work on id Tech 5 and the technology for the current development work at id is complete, and his departure will not affect any current projects. We are fortunate to have a brilliant group of programmers at id who worked with John and will carry on id’s tradition of making great games with cutting-edge technology. As colleagues of John for many years, we wish him well.”
While working at id, Carmack helped develop the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and later joined the team as chief technical officer. After taking the position at Oculus VR, id Software clarified that Carmack would stay on "to provide leadership" for future game development.
Following today's departure, Carmack took to Twitter and briefly explained the complicated situation when working for both id Software and Oculus VR.
I wanted to remain a technical adviser for Id, but it just didn't work out. Probably for the best, as the divided focus was challenging.
— John Carmack (@ID_AA_Carmack) November 22, 2013
Splitting time between both jobs proved more challenging than expected for Carmack. With a consumer Oculus Rift unit scheduled to land sometime in 2014, his departure can let him focus on developing the virtual reality device.
