Legendary John Carmack Buries the Hatchet With Bethesda and Returns to QuakeCon
John Carmack, co-founder of the legendary id Software, has frequently faced Bethesda in court over the past decade. Recent posts from the developer's Twitter/X, however, suggest that the relationship between the feuding parties has improved considerably.
Over the past decade, a recurring theme in the gaming industry has been the court dispute between John Carmack, co-founder of iconic studio id Software, and the ZeniMax corporation, which owns Bethesda Softworks among others.
However, it appears that the years-long legal battle between these parties has finally come to an end. This can be evidenced by Carmack's presence at last week's QuakeCon, the industry event dedicated to id Software's games.
A multi-year battle
The courtroom tiff between the legendary developer and ZeniMax began shortly after John Carmack moved from id Software to virtual reality company Oculus VR in 2013 (Oculus itself was bought by the Facebook corporation a year later).
Carmack's former employer brought an accusation against Oculus VR related to the alleged theft of intellectual property. The dispute was further inflamed when the creator of the legendary FPS games was also accused of misappropriation of sensitive company documents.
Although the case ultimately ended in a partial victory for ZeniMax, in 2017counter-suit from Carmack's side was filed in a US court. In it, the developer accused his former employer of failing to pay him for his remaining stocks of the company. This case, however, lived to see a relatively quick resolution; a year later the parties managed to reach an agreement.
Unexpected visitation
A few years after the aforementioned court tussle, John Carmack appeared at Bethesda's industry event QuakeCon 2023, which took place late last week.
In a report on Twitter/X the legendary creator talked about his positive impressions of attending the event:
"My first QuakeCon in a decade! I'm very happy that everything is already in order and I'm welcomed."
In addition, Carmack mentioned the pleasant experience of talking with fans and younger members of the studio he co-founded:
"It was great to meet some of the new developers in the id Software family - I wish you all the best in continuing the legacy!"
Warming relations with former employer, departure from Meta (formerly Facebook), and tentative signals from the developer may give FPS genre enthusiasts quiet hope that perhaps the father of the genre will return in time to work with id Software.
