John Carmack, co-creator of iconic first-person-shooter Doom and one of the smartest minds in video games, has resigned from the development studio he helped co-found.
As seen as on IGN, Carmack is stepping away from the company where he served as lead programmer on Wolfenstein 3D, Quake and Rage. Id's official statement, via parent company Bethesda, follows:
"John Carmack, who has become interested in focusing on things other than game development at id, has resigned from the studio. 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." -Tim Willits, Studio Director, id Software
This latest move comes after Carmack took on the role of head of technology at Oculus VR, which makes the buzzed-about Rift virtual reality headset. Though Willits essentially says that Id's always-strong technology development is on a steady course, Carmack's departure certainly marks the end of an era.