Mick Gordon opens the door to a Doom return: possible reconciliation or wishful thinking?

Few absences were felt as strongly in Doom: The Dark Ages as that of Mick Gordon. The Australian composer, who shaped the sound of the Doom Guy's two previous outings, did not take part in id Software's new medieval adventure. Now, at the recent PAX Australia, he made it clear that he is not shutting the door on the series: if the circumstances line up, he would return without a second thought, as reported by Vida Extra, the source of the core information in this article.

Why does it matter? Because in Doom, the music is not just an accompaniment, it is part of the gameplay. The pace of the fights, the feeling of power and even the way many players remember each arena are tied to his riffs. Gordon talking about a return reopens a wound the community never fully healed: a public, bitter split with serious accusations involved.

What you need to know

• Mick Gordon composed the soundtracks for the two previous Doom games, but he was not involved in Doom: The Dark Ages.
• His departure followed a dispute with Marty Stratton, executive producer of Doom Eternal.
• Gordon says id Software did not pay him for half of his work on the game and accuses Stratton of repeated abusive treatment while he was composing the music and the official album.
• At PAX Australia, he said he would return to the franchise without hesitation, although he admits that a lot of very specific conditions would have to be met.
• He says he keeps a list of ideas about the musical direction he would like to take Doom in.

A split that weighs more than any riff

What happened between Gordon and id Software was not a simple creative disagreement. The composer has pointed directly at Stratton and has spoken about work that was only partially paid, something that would be serious in any industry and carries even more weight in video games, where external creatives are often in a more vulnerable position. The controversy surrounding the official Doom Eternal album ended up becoming a widely discussed case about how big studios treat musical talent.

Against that backdrop, The Dark Ages arrived with a different sonic approach, better suited to its setting, but inevitably in the shadow of comparisons. For a large share of fans, modern Doom has Gordon's voice, and any change is measured against that bar.

The dominoes

The metaphor Gordon himself used at PAX Australia is telling: for him to come back, a lot of dominoes would have to fall in a very specific order. He did not say which ones, and we are not going to speculate about names or conditions he has not mentioned. What he does make clear is that a return does not depend only on willingness, which he has, but on a situation that does not exist today. His mind, however, is still on the series: he says he has concrete ideas about where to take Doom's music and would love to explore them someday.

Our take

Here at the Underworld Lordz newsroom, we are clear on this: Doom with Mick Gordon is better Doom. Anyone who has played Eternal on the higher difficulties knows the music works almost like a metronome; it tells you when to push, when to move and when to take risks. For speedrunners and anyone competing for times, that soundtrack was part of the flow. And for content creators, his tracks became synonymous with epic montages. Losing that identity is no small thing.

But let's be critical: the underlying problem is not musical, it is about working conditions. If Gordon's accusations about incomplete payments and abusive treatment are true, the ball is in id Software's court, not the composer's. No fan should ask for a reconciliation at any cost. Asking an artist to go back to an environment where he felt mistreated, just because we want to hear breakdowns again, would be selfish. If a return happens, it should come with fair and transparent terms.

Gordon also deserves credit for how gracefully he handled the question: he is not closing doors, he is not launching new attacks, and he makes it clear that he cares about the series. It is the kind of attitude that helps, and it leaves id Software facing an uncomfortable question: is corporate pride worth more than getting back one of the most powerful signatures of the modern shooter? We don't think so.

What do you think?

Did you notice Gordon's absence in The Dark Ages, or do you think the series can hold up with a different sound? Should id Software take the first step to make things right? Tell us where you stand in the team chat or drop by our Discord: would you see Doom with new eyes, and hear it with new ears, if Mick Gordon came back?