View source for Software:Id Tech

{{short description|Series of video game engines}}
{{Other uses|Id tech (disambiguation)}}
{{lowercase title}}
[[File:Quake - family tree 2.svg|thumb|''Quake'' family tree, showing engines and a selection of games based on the [[Quake engine|''Quake'' engine]]]]
'''id Tech''' is a series of successive [[Software:Game engine|game engine]]s designed and developed by [[Company:Id Software|id Software]]. Prior to the presentation of the [[Software:Id Tech 5|id Tech 5]]-based game ''[[Software:Rage (video game)|Rage]]'' in 2011, the engines lacked official designation and as such were simply referred to by the names of the games the engines had been developed for (i.e., ''[[Software:Doom engine|Doom]]'' and ''[[Software:Quake engine|Quake]]'' engines). The id Tech engines up through 4.5 have been released as [[Free software|free software]] under the [[Software:GNU General Public License|GNU General Public License]]. Pre-id Tech engines up to id Tech 3 were released under GPL-2.0-or-later; id Tech versions 3.5 to 4.5 were released under GPL-3.0-or-later. id Tech 5 to 8 remain proprietary, with id Tech 8 currently being the latest engine.

According to ''Eurogamer.net'', "id Software has been synonymous with PC game engines since the concept of a detached game engine was first popularised." However [[Software:Id Tech 4|id Tech 4]] had far fewer licensees than the [[Unreal Engine]] from [[Company:Epic Games|Epic Games]]. id planned to regain the momentum with [[Software:Id Tech 5|id Tech 5]],<ref name="www.eurogamer.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/id-tech-5-interview|title=id Tech 5 - Steve Nix on the growth of id's next engine|last=Bramwell|first=Tom|publisher=Eurogamer|date=2007-09-08|access-date=2017-05-15}}</ref> until the company was bought by [[Company:ZeniMax Media|ZeniMax Media]] in 2009 (who was later bought by [[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]] in 2021), with both companies choosing to keep the id Tech engines exclusively for id and its sister studios as a [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] engine.

==Predecessors==
id Software had developed [[Ray casting#Ray casting in early computer games|pseudo 3D]] engines for several games before ''Quake''. Each engine had progressively more advanced pseudo 3D technology.  Two notable examples are the ''Wolfenstein 3D'' engine and the ''Doom'' engine, which are often claimed to be id Tech 0 and 1, respectively.  As previously mentioned, both engines lack official designation by id Software themselves, so it has been left to speculation. All of the following are fundamentally different in architecture and rendering technology from later id Software game engines, which are fully 3D rendered with separated engine and game code.
* ''[[Software:Hovertank 3D|Hovertank 3D]]'' (1991) used solid-color drawn polygonal walls and scalable sprites. The source code was released by Flat Rock Software in June 2014 under GPL-2.0-or-later.
* ''[[Software:Catacomb 3-D|Catacomb 3-D]]'' (1991) added [[Texture mapping|texture mapping]] to the walls. The source code was released by Flat Rock Software in June 2014 under GPL-2.0-or-later.

=== Wolfenstein 3D engine ===
{{Main|Software:Rise of the Triad}}
''[[Software:Wolfenstein 3D|Wolfenstein 3D]]'' (1992) increased the color palette from 16-color [[Enhanced Graphics Adapter|EGA]] to 256-color VGA and also adopted raycasting. The game engine was also licensed out to other companies. The source code to Wolfenstein 3D, along with its prequel ''Spear of Destiny'', was released on 21 July 1995 under a proprietary license, and then later under GPL-2.0-or-later.<ref>{{cite web |last=Carmack |first=John |date=March 20, 2009 |url=https://github.com/id-Software/Wolf3D-iOS/blob/master/wolf3d/readme_iWolf.txt |format=TXT |title=readme_iWolf.txt |website=[[GitHub]] |access-date=February 26, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Carmack |first=John |date=September 1, 2011 |url=http://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs/contrib/w/wolf4sdl/wolf4sdl_1.7+svn262+dfsg1-1_copyright |title=Re: License of Wolf3d source code |website=metadata.ftp-master.debian.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120224538/http://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs/contrib/w/wolf4sdl/wolf4sdl_1.7+svn262+dfsg1-1_copyright |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |access-date=February 26, 2024}}</ref>

''[[Software:ShadowCaster|ShadowCaster]]'' (1993) was built upon the Wolfenstein 3D engine and was licensed out to [[Company:Raven Software|Raven Software]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Antoniades |first1=Alexander |title=Monsters from the Id: The Making of Doom |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/monsters-from-the-id-the-making-of-i-doom-i- |website=Game Developer |publisher=[[Company:Informa|Informa]] |access-date=13 July 2024 |date=22 August 2013}}</ref> It features diminished lighting, texture mapped floors and ceilings, walls with variable heights, and sloped floors.<ref name="ravensoft.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.ravensoft.com/gamesdetail.aspx?xmmid=624&xmid=4&xmview=2 |title=Shadowcaster at Ravensoft.com |access-date=2009-07-02 |publisher=[[Company:Raven Software|Raven Software]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614054825/http://www.ravensoft.com/gamesdetail.aspx?xmmid=624&xmid=4&xmview=2 |archive-date=2009-06-14 }}</ref> This Raven engine was later also used by ''[[Software:In Pursuit of Greed|In Pursuit of Greed]]'', and with further modifications for ''[[Software:CyClones|CyClones]]'' as the STEAM engine.

''[[Software:Rise of the Triad|Rise of the Triad]]'' uses an enhanced engine of ''Wolfenstein 3D'' and was meant to serve as the sequel to it. The source code was released on 20 December 2002 under GPL-2.0-or-later.

Other games using this engine are: ''[[Software:Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold]]'', ''[[Software:Blake Stone: Planet Strike]]'', ''[[Software:Corridor 7: Alien Invasion]]'', and ''[[Software:Operation Body Count|Operation Body Count]]''.

=== DOOM Engine ===
{{Main|Software:Doom engine}}
The "'''''Doom'' engine'''" powers the id Software games ''[[Software:Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' (1993), ''Doom II: Hell on Earth'' (1994) and ''[[Software:Doom 64|Doom 64]]'' (1997). It was created by John Carmack, with auxiliary functions written by John Romero, Dave Taylor, and Paul Radek. Initially developed on [[Company:NeXT|NeXT]] computers, it was [[Porting|ported]] to [[Software:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]] for ''Doom''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s release and was later ported to several game consoles and [[Operating system|operating system]]s. The source code was released on 23 December 1997 under a proprietary license, and then later on 3 October 1999 under GPL-2.0-or-later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/source/doomsrc|title=Doom source code, under the GNU GPL - Doomworld /Idgames database frontend}}</ref>

''[[Software:Heretic (video game)|Heretic]]'' and ''[[Software:Hexen: Beyond Heretic]]'' were developed by [[Company:Raven Software|Raven Software]] and published by id Software. Their sources were released on 4 September 2008 under GPL-2.0-only. Other games using this engine include ''Strife: Quest for the Sigil'' and ''[[Software:Chex Quest|Chex Quest]]''.

==Development==
{{VG timeline
| compressempty = yes
| 1996 = [[Software:Quake engine|id Tech 1]]
| 1997 = [[Software:Quake II engine|id Tech 2]]
| 1999 = [[Software:Id Tech 3|id Tech 3]]
| 2004 = [[Software:Id Tech 4|id Tech 4]]
| 2011 = [[Software:Id Tech 5|id Tech 5]]
| 2016 = [[Software:Id Tech 6|id Tech 6]]
| 2020 = [[Software:Id Tech 7|id Tech 7]]
| 2025 = id Tech 8
}}
=== id Tech 1 ===
{{Main|Software:Quake engine}}
Originally known as the "'''''Quake'' engine'''", it was originally written to power 1996's ''[[Software:Quake (video game)|Quake]]''. It featured [[3D computer graphics|true 3D]] real-time graphics via [[Software rendering|software rendering]] and is the first id Software engine to use the [[Client–server model|client–server model]] and a virtual machine for game code written in ''[[QuakeC]]''.  3D model animations lack [[Interpolation (computer graphics)|interpolation]], appearing choppy and uneven. The source code was released on 21 December 1999 under GPL-2.0-or-later.

The ''Quake'' engine was updated with a new multiplayer-only executable titled ''QuakeWorld'' that contained code to enhance the networking capabilities of ''Quake'' in response to the demand for across-internet network games that arose as a result of ''Quake''{{'}}s usage of [[User Datagram Protocol|UDP]] for networking.

Another update was ''GLQuake'' and ''GLQuakeWorld'' which add support for 3D acceleration through [[Software:OpenGL|OpenGL]].  However, both have limitations which include a lack of "fullbright" and "overbright" lighting present in the software renderer. <ref name="www.quaddicted.net">{{cite web|url=https://www.quaddicted.com/engines/software_vs_glquake|title=Differences between software rendered Quake and GLQuake - Quaddicted.com|publisher=quaddicted.com|access-date=2026-03-10}}</ref> 
=== id Tech 2 ===
{{Main|Software:Quake II engine}}
Originally known as the "'''''Quake II'' engine'''", it was used to power id Software's ''[[Software:Quake II|Quake II]]'' in 1997, with features such as out-of-the-box support for hardware acceleration, enhanced network code, colored lighting, and a new vertex-interpolated MD2 model format.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idsoftware.com/business/idtech2/|title=id Tech 2 page|publisher=[[Company:Id Software|id Software]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917045739/http://www.idsoftware.com/business/idtech2/|archive-date=2008-09-17}}</ref> id Tech 2 also features alpha blending, [[Radiosity (computer graphics)|radiosity lightmaps]], and a [[Modular programming|modular architecture]] for the renderer and game code, both now written in C and compiled to [[Shared library|shared libraries]].  The benefits of such are speed and easier debugging at the expense of portability. id Tech 2 is the last id Tech engine to include a [[Software rendering|software renderer]]. The source code was released on 22 December 2001 under GPL-2.0-or-later.

=== id Tech 3 ===
Originally known as the "'''''Quake III Arena'' engine'''", it was used to power id Software's ''[[Software:Quake III Arena|Quake III Arena]]'' in 1999. It is the first in this series to require an [[Software:OpenGL|OpenGL]]-compliant [[Graphics processing unit|graphics accelerator]] to run. id Tech 3 features higher precision vertex animation with the MD3 model format, volumetric fog, spline-based curved surfaces, precomputed form of portals similar to what is in [[Software:Prey (2006 video game)|Prey (2006 video game)]], decals, and material scripts. The ''Quake III Arena'' engine was updated to patch 1.26 and later versions are called "'''Quake III Team Arena engine'''" with a new MD4 skeletal model format and huge outdoor areas. The source code was released on 19 August 2005 under GPL-2.0-or-later.

id Tech 3 was updated with the 2001 release of ''[[Software:Return to Castle Wolfenstein|Return to Castle Wolfenstein]]'', which included a single-player scripting system, and the 2003 release of ''[[Software:Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]]''. The source code was released on 12 August 2010 under GPL-3.0-or-later.

It was also licensed by [[Company:Infinity Ward|Infinity Ward]] and modified for the first [[Software:Call of Duty (video game)|''Call of Duty'']] title in 2003, spawning the [[Software:IW engine|IW engine]]. 

=== id Tech 4 ===
Commonly known as the "'''''Doom 3'' engine'''" which was used to power ''[[Software:Doom 3|Doom 3]]'' as it released in 2004, id Tech 4 began as an enhancement to [[Software:Id Tech 3|id Tech 3]]. During development, it was initially just a complete rewrite of the engine's [[Rendering (computer graphics)|renderer]], while still retaining other subsystems, such as file access, and memory management.  The decision to switch from C to the [[C++]] [[Programming language|programming language]] necessitated a restructuring and rewrite of the rest of the engine; today, while id Tech 4 contains code from id Tech 3, much of it has been rewritten.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/e32002/pc/carmack/|title=Q&A with John Carmack, E3 2002|publisher=GameSpy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124031112/http://archive.gamespy.com/e32002/pc/carmack/|archive-date=2012-01-24}}</ref> It features unified lighting, [[Shadow volume|shadow volumes]], shaders, [[Normal mapping|normal mapping]], specular mapping, the improved MD5 skeletal model format, interactive GUI rendered onto model surfaces, and [[Software:Game physics|real-time physics simulation]]. The source code was released on 22 November 2011 under GPL-3.0-or-later.

Other games using this engine are: [[Company:Raven Software|Raven Software]]'s ''[[Software:Quake 4|Quake 4]]'' (2005) and ''[[Software:Wolfenstein (2009 video game)|Wolfenstein]]'' (2009), [[Company:Human Head Studios|Human Head Studios]]' ''[[Software:Prey (2006 video game)|Prey]]'' (2006), [[Company:Splash Damage|Splash Damage]]'s ''[[Software:Enemy Territory: Quake Wars]]'' (2007) and [[Software:Brink (video game)|''Brink'']] (2011).

id Tech 4 was updated with the 2012 release of ''[[Software:Doom 3: BFG Edition]]'' with some features from id Tech 5. The source code was released on 26 November 2012 under GPL-3.0-or-later, and it is the last [[GPL|GPL licensed]] id Software release.

=== id Tech 5 ===
[[File:Id tech 5.jpg|thumb|150px|id Tech 5 was the first id Tech engine to receive its own logo.]]
Used for id Software's ''[[Software:Rage (video game)|Rage]],'' the engine is based on the file system frameworks. Some technologies included are the GUI system from [[Software:Id Tech 4|id Tech 4]], including a new renderer, MegaTexture 2.0 technology, soft shadows and more.

The engine was later used to power [[Company:MachineGames|MachineGames]]' first two ''Wolfenstein'' titles, [[Software:Wolfenstein: The New Order|''The New Order'']] in 2014 and its standalone expansion ''[[Software:Wolfenstein: The Old Blood|The Old Blood]],'' from 2015. It was also used for [[Company:Tango Gameworks|Tango Gameworks]]' ''[[Software:The Evil Within|The Evil Within]]'' (2014).

id Tech 5 can no longer be licensed and is now proprietary to id's parent company, [[Company:Bethesda Softworks|Bethesda Softworks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-08-12-id-tech-5-only-for-bethesda-titles|title=id Tech 5 only for Bethesda titles|last=Bramwell|first=Tom|publisher=Eurogamer|date=2010-12-08|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref>
It is the oldest id Software engine not to be released under the [[Software:GNU General Public License|GNU GPL license]]. According to then-CEO of id Software, Todd Hollenshead, the engine remains [[Proprietary software|closed-source]] because it is a "competitive advantage and we want to keep it within games we publish -- not necessarily exclusively to id or id titles, but if you're going to make a game with id Tech 5 then it needs to be published by Bethesda, which I think is a fair thing."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Graft|first=Kris|title=id Tech 5 Rage Engine No Longer Up For External Licensing|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/id-tech-5-i-rage-i-engine-no-longer-up-for-external-licensing|publisher=Gamasutra|access-date=August 12, 2018}}</ref>

=== id Tech 6 ===
Used for [[Software:Doom (2016 video game)|''Doom'']] released on May 13, 2016.  While the engine uses some of the features from id Tech 5, id has also added support for [[Software:Vulkan (API)|Vulkan]] rendering. Development of the renderer is led by Tiago Sousa, who had previously worked on [[Software:CryEngine|CryEngine]], following previous [[Engineering:Technical director|technical director]] John Carmack's resignation in 2013. id Tech 6 was also used in ''[[Software:Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus]]'' (2017), and ''[[Software:Wolfenstein: Youngblood]]'' (2019) again by [[Company:MachineGames|MachineGames]]. It was not used for ''[[Software:Quake Champions|Quake Champions]]'' however, which combined id Tech features with the Saber3D Engine.

=== id Tech 7 ===
At QuakeCon 2018, id Software announced the release of a new game in the Doom franchise called ''[[Software:Doom Eternal|Doom Eternal]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Machkovech |first=Sam |date=2018-10-08 |title=Doom Eternal ushers in idTech 7, bloody new powers |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/08/doom-eternal-reveals-new-powers-puts-hell-back-on-earth/ |access-date=2018-08-10 |work=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref> Powered by the id Tech 7 engine, ''Doom Eternal'' was released on March 20, 2020. The new engine is capable of delivering an increase in geometric detail without drops in frame-rate vs. id Tech 6.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://wccftech.com/doom-eternal-debut-gameplay-quakecon/|title=Doom Eternal Unleashes Bloody Debut Gameplay at QuakeCon|last=Birch|first=Nathan|date=2018-08-10|work=Wccftech|access-date=2018-08-12|language=en-US}}</ref> On PC, id Tech 7 supports [[Software:Vulkan (API)|Vulkan]] rendering only.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1028133659168186368 |user=billykhan |title=Yes, it's #Vulkan only on PC. #Vulkan is the best API if you want to achieve the absolute highest frame rates on PC. |first=Billy |last=Khan |date=2018-08-11}}</ref>

=== id Tech 8 ===
At Developer Direct 2025, id Software revealed gameplay details<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Gameplay Details Revealed for DOOM: The Dark Ages, Launching May 15, 2025 |url=https://slayersclub.bethesda.net/en-US/article/doom-the-dark-ages-gameplay-revealed |last=Wilhelm |first=Parker |date=2025-01-23 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Slayers Club}}</ref> and the PC specifications<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prepare for DOOM: The Dark Ages with our PC specs |url=https://slayersclub.bethesda.net/en-US/article/doom-the-dark-ages-pc-specs |last=Wilhelm |first=Parker |date=2025-01-23 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Slayers Club}}</ref> for ''[[Software:Doom: The Dark Ages]]'', which is powered by their id Tech 8 engine and was released on May 15, 2025.

The id Tech 8 engine increases the maximum number of on-screen enemies and supports [[Path tracing|path tracing]] and realistic [[Software:Game physics|game physics]], featuring [[Software:Destructible environment|destructible environments]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-04-01 |title=Doom: The Dark Ages hands-on tech preview - idTech 8 impresses hugely on PC |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2025-doom-the-dark-ages-hands-on-tech-preview-id-tech-8-impresses-hugely-on-pc |access-date=2025-05-12 |work=Eurogamer.net |language=en}}</ref> It is the first generation of id Tech engine that requires dedicated [[Ray-tracing hardware|raytracing-enabled hardware]],<ref name="RTonly">{{Cite web |last=Roach |first=Jacob |date=2025-05-09 |title=Exploring the gory brilliance of id Tech 8 in Doom: The Dark Ages |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/doom-dark-ages-id-tech-hands-on/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=XDA |language=en}}</ref> primarily due to the lighting being fully raytraced global illumination.

==Comparison==
{{main|Software:List of game engines}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center; font-size: 85%; width: auto; table-layout: fixed;"
|-
! style="width: 12em" | Name<br>{{small|(aka)}}
! Primary [[Programming language|programming language]]
! Release year
! [[Open-source software|Open sourced]]?
! [[Programming language|Game Code Language]]
! [[Computing platform|Platforms]]
! Notable games
! class="unsortable" | Notes and references
|-
! [[Software:Quake engine|id Tech 1]]<br>{{small|''Quake'' engine}}
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
| 1996
| {{open source|1999, [[Software:GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]}}
| [[QuakeC]]
| [[Software:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]], [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Software:Linux|Linux]], [[Software:MacOS|macOS]]
| [[Software:Quake (video game)|''Quake'']], ''[[Software:Hexen II|Hexen II]]'', ''[[Software:Wrath: Aeon of Ruin]]''
| First [[3D computer graphics|true 3D]] id Tech engine; arbitrary geometry now possible. 
|-
! [[Software:Quake II engine|id Tech 2]]<br>{{small|''Quake II'' engine}}
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
| 1997
| {{open source|2001, [[Software:GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]}}
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Software:Linux|Linux]], [[Software:MacOS|macOS]]
| ''[[Software:Quake II|Quake II]]'', ''[[Software:Heretic II|Heretic II]]'', ''[[Software:SiN|SiN]]'', ''[[Software:Daikatana|Daikatana]]'', ''[[Software:Gravity Bone|Gravity Bone]]'', ''[[Software:Thirty Flights of Loving|Thirty Flights of Loving]]''
| Colored lights, 3D Acceleration.
|-
! [[Software:Id Tech 3|id Tech 3]]<br>{{small|''Quake III Arena'' engine}}
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
| 1999
| {{open source|2005, [[Software:GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]}}
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Software:Linux|Linux]], [[Software:MacOS|macOS]]
| ''[[Software:Quake III Arena|Quake III Arena]]'', ''[[Software:Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2]]'', ''[[Software:American McGee's Alice|American McGee's Alice]]'', ''[[Software:Call of Duty (video game)|Call of Duty]]'', ''[[Software:Quake Live|Quake Live]]''
| Curved Surfaces, Volumetric Fog, Virtual Machine
|-
! [[Software:Id Tech 3|id Tech 3.5]]
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
| 2001
| {{open source|2010, [[Software:GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]}}
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Software:Linux|Linux]], [[Software:MacOS|macOS]]
| ''[[Software:Return to Castle Wolfenstein|Return to Castle Wolfenstein]]'', ''[[Software:Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]]''
| Improvements to the id Tech 3 engine.
|-
! [[Software:Id Tech 4|id Tech 4]]<br>{{small|''Doom 3'' engine}}
| [[C++]]
| 2004
| {{open source|2011, [[Software:GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]}}
| [[C++]], custom scripting for GUI elements
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Software:Linux|Linux]], [[Software:MacOS|macOS]]
| ''[[Software:Doom 3|Doom 3]]'', ''[[Software:Quake 4|Quake 4]]'', ''[[Software:Prey (2006 video game)|Prey]]'', ''[[Software:Enemy Territory: Quake Wars]]'', ''[[Software:Wolfenstein (2009 video game)|Wolfenstein]]'', ''[[Software:Brink (video game)|Brink]]'', ''[[Software:Quadrilateral Cowboy|Quadrilateral Cowboy]]''
| Among [[Software:Id Tech 4#Features|many new features]], interactive GUI surfaces and unified lighting with stencil shadows. First id Tech engine to support [[Normal mapping|normal mapping]].
|-
! [[Software:Id Tech 4|id Tech 4.5]]
| [[C++]]
| 2011
| {{open source|2012, [[Software:GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]}}
| [[C++]], [[Software:Adobe Flash|Adobe Flash]] for GUI elements
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Software:Linux|Linux]], [[Software:MacOS|macOS]]
| ''[[Software:Doom 3: BFG Edition]]''
| Improvements to the id Tech 4 engine. GUI scripting system replaced with Flash.
|-
! [[Software:Id Tech 5|id Tech 5]]
| [[C++]], [[Software:AMPL|AMPL]], [[Clipper (programming language)|Clipper]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]]
| 2011
| {{proprietary}}
| Script
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Software:MacOS|macOS]], [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]], [[Engineering:Xbox One|Xbox One]], [[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]], [[Engineering:PlayStation 4|PlayStation 4]]
| ''[[Software:Rage (video game)|Rage]]'', ''[[Software:Wolfenstein: The New Order]]'', ''[[Software:Wolfenstein: The Old Blood]]'', ''[[Software:The Evil Within|The Evil Within]]''
| First id Tech engine to feature MegaTexture technology, starting with [[Software:Rage (video game)|''Rage'']]
|-
! [[Software:Id Tech 6|id Tech 6]]
| [[C++]]
| 2016
| {{proprietary}}
| Unknown 
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Engineering:Xbox One|Xbox One]], [[Engineering:PlayStation 4|PlayStation 4]], [[Engineering:Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Switch]]
| ''[[Software:Doom (2016 video game)|Doom (2016)]], [[Software:Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus]]''
| 
|-
! [[Software:Id Tech 7|id Tech 7]]<br>{{small|Motor}}
| [[C++]]
| 2020
| {{proprietary}}
| Unknown
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Engineering:PlayStation 4|PlayStation 4]], [[Engineering:Xbox One|Xbox One]], [[Engineering:Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Switch]]
| ''[[Software:Doom Eternal|Doom Eternal]]'', ''[[Software:Indiana Jones and the Great Circle|Indiana Jones and the Great Circle]]''
| Much refactoring, MegaTexture removed, [[Software:Id Tech 7#Technology|many additional new features]]; dubbed "Motor" for ''Indiana Jones and the Great Circle''
|-
! id Tech 8
| [[C++]]
| 2025
| {{proprietary}}
| Unknown
| [[Software:Windows|Windows]], [[Engineering:PlayStation 5|PlayStation 5]], Xbox Series X/S
| ''[[Software:Doom: The Dark Ages]]''
| First version of the engine to require ''hardware-level'' [[Ray-tracing hardware|ray-tracing]]<ref name="RTonly"/>
|}

==See also==
* [[Software:First-person shooter engine|First-person shooter engine]]
* [[Software:List of game engines|List of game engines]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[https://github.com/id-Software Source code of open source engines released by id Software]

{{Id Software}}
{{ZeniMax Media}}
{{Video game engines}}

[[Category:Game engines for Linux]]
[[Category:Video game engines]]

{{Sourceattribution|Id Tech}}