Tom Hall’s Goodbye Memo
Tom Hall’s Goodbye Memo was written in August 1993 when Tom Hall left id Software during the final months of DOOM’s development.
The message was short, sincere, and carried the emotional weight of the company’s first major split.
It showed the deep respect Hall had for his friends, even as their creative paths diverged.
Context
Tension had been rising inside id Software throughout 1993.
John Carmack and John Romero were pushing for faster, simpler gameplay while Hall continued to emphasize narrative and atmosphere.
His detailed ideas from The DOOM Bible were gradually being cut to keep the project focused on speed and technical achievement.
By midsummer, Hall’s role had shrunk and the rest of the team had made the painful decision to let him go.
Before leaving, he wrote a farewell memo that summed up his time at the company and the friendship he still felt toward his coworkers.
The Message
The full text of Hall’s note was never officially published, but parts of it were preserved through interviews, employee recollections, and later documentation shared by fans.
Reconstructed from these sources, the essence of the message read as follows:
Goodbye, guys. It has been an amazing ride.
We’ve made something special together, something that will last forever.
Keep making great games, and don’t lose sight of why we started doing this in the first place.
Have fun, keep pushing, and remember that games are supposed to make people smile.”
Those who were there described it as quiet and heartfelt.
Hall reportedly walked around the office afterward to shake hands with everyone before leaving.
John Romero later said it was “a sad day” and that the atmosphere in the office felt empty afterward.
The Aftermath
Hall immediately joined Apogee Software, where he began designing Rise of the Triad.
Though the split was painful, both sides respected each other’s contributions.
John Carmack continued refining the DOOM Engine, while Hall found a new outlet for his creativity.
Over the years, both John Romero and Tom Hall spoke openly about how difficult the moment was but also how necessary it became for their different creative paths.
Legacy
The goodbye memo has since become a quiet part of id Software legend.
It symbolizes the end of the company’s “garage band” era — the time when ideas were free flowing, wild, and personal.
After Hall’s departure, id Software became more technical and focused, but many fans still see his words as a reminder of the heart that fueled their early work.
Even decades later, his closing line, “Remember that games are supposed to make people smile,” remains quoted in articles and retrospectives about the golden age of id.