Doom Eternal developer id Software is no longer working with composer Mick Gordon on the planned DLC for the game, after a rift formed over the release of the game’s official soundtrack (OST).
Executive producer Marty Stratton, in an open letter posted on Reddit, revealed the developer’s side of happened with Doom Eternal‘s soundtrack — which had Gordon saying he’d “doubt we’ll work together again” when asked on social media about his future with id Software.
Stratton claimed that id Software’s relationship with Gordon has been “complicated,” but the challenges have never been about creative differences.
“Talent aside, we have struggled to connect on some of the more production-related realities of development, while communication around those issues have eroded trust,” Stratton wrote.
“As for the immediate future, we are at the point of moving on and won’t be working with Mick on the DLC we currently have in production,” Stratton added at the end of the letter.
The controversy revolves around the game’s official soundtrack, which was to be released as part Doom Eternal‘s Collector’s Edition.
Stratton said an agreement was reached between the developer and Gordon in January this year for at least 12 tracks, similar to the Doom OST, by early March. Gordon requested an extension though, eventually settling on a mid-April delivery date. But, that meant that the OST would not be available with the launch of the Collector’s Edition, Stratton said.
When April rolled in, Stratton asked id Software’s lead audio designer, Chad Mossholder, to start working on his own tracks, with the pre-mixed and pre-compressed music Gordon submitted for use in the game, as a backup plan.
Due to unspecified issues that led to further delays, Stratton said that Gordon suggested for his work to be combined with Mossholder’s to fill out the Doom Eternal OST, which was released on April 19 to players who purchased Collector’s Edition.
Players were disappointed with the soundtrack, particularly with the differences between the 12 tracks mixed by Gordon and the 47 tracks edited by Mossholder.
Gordon, meanwhile, distanced himself from what happened with the OST, which Stratton said led to “unnecessary speculation and judgment.”
It remains unclear if id Software and Gordon will be able to patch things up ahead of a third installment in the rebooted Doom series, but fans of the franchise will surely hope that the composer will return.
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