On May 5, 2020, id Software Studio Director Marty Stratton published an open letter on Reddit accusing DOOM Eternal composer Mick Gordon of not completely mixing and producing the game's tracks, and having an id Lead Audio Designer named Chad help fix it up it before release.
In the letter, Stratton alleges trouble between id and Gordon, missed deadlines, online chatter about Gordon's overall work not being finished, there being differences between Chad and Gordon's work (namely that Gordon's were poorly mixed and were compressed to hell), and sheds light on a boatload of behinds-the-scenes contractual, legal, and personal issues.
Stratton ended his letter by saying id would no longer be working with Gordon and expressing his disappointment in the situation. "I'm as disappointed as anyone that we're at this point, but as we have many times before, we will adapt to changing circumstances and pursue the most unique and talented artists in the industry with whom to collaborate," said Stratton in closing. "Our team has enjoyed this creative collaboration a great deal and we know Mick will continue to delight fans for many years ahead.
Now Gordon has published his own letter two years later, which starts with the following introduction:
"Marty lied about the circumstances surrounding the DOOM Eternal Soundtrack and used disinformation and innuendo to blame me entirely for its failure. Afterwards, he offered me a six-figure settlement to never speak about it. As far as I'm concerned, the truth is more important.
"Marty's Reddit post severely impacted both my professional and personal reputation. In releasing this statement, I'm exercising my right to defend myself. It is a defence, not an unprovoked attack, issued with extreme reluctance only after all other attempts to resolve the matter have failed.
"This statement is not an excuse for a hate campaign. Acts of hate dished out online won't result in any positive change. In fact, it only makes things worse."
All told, Gordon's post runs about an hour in length and is long enough to warrant a table of contents. In the Summary of Facts section, Gordon alleges the following against Stratton:
- He was not paid for over half of the DOOM Eternal soundtrack
- He received a contract for the soundtrack 48 hours prior to the release of the game, and was not told the entire truth about the scope of his work
- He was cut out of the process at the end of the soundtrack
- Stratton never reached out to him about the controversy, and instead published the open letter
- He received torrents of abuse and harassment from fans afterward
- His reputation has been damaged because of this situation
Read the full letter here.
