John Romero plans Doom spiritual successor in the form of a free Doom Megawad

John Romero, the co-creator of the original Doom, is releasing a spiritual successor to id Software’s classic first-person shooter in the form of Sigil, a free mod for the 1993 game.

Circling back to tie up loose ends on a project 25 years later isn’t exactly a common endeavor, but that’s what Romero Games aims to do through Sigil. Due out in February 2019, the unofficial Doom spiritual successor is being given away as an entirely free release, though it will require a registered copy of the original Doom to run.

The announcement page for the game specifically notes that Sigil isn’t affiliated with or authorized by Doom IP holder id Software and its parent company ZeniMax, specifically billing Sigil as a spiritual successor to the classic game that offers both single-player and multiplayer content. 

While the mod itself is being released for free, Romero is working with Limited Run Games to churn out two levels of merch packs (called ‘fan boxes’ rather than collectors editions or physical releases of Sigil) that offer things like art, an additional soundtrack, and a flash drive containing the mod for either $166 or $39.99.