John Carmack vs ZeniMax Media lawsuit is over
Id Software co-founder says Bethesda parent has “fully satisfied their obligations to me”
Industry veteran John Carmack has revealed his legal battle with former employer ZeniMax Media has concluded.
Carmack announced this via Twitter last week, stating that both he and ZeniMax have come to an agreement, although full details have not been shared. But this does not mean an end to the dispute between ZeniMax and Carmack's current employer Oculus.
The case in question is a lawsuit Carmack filed last year against the publisher, suing for $22.5 million, which he claimed was still owed to him after his studio Id Software was acquired in 2009.
"My personal legal disputes are over," Carmack tweeted. "ZeniMax has fully satisfied their obligations to me from the purchase of Id Software, and we have released all claims against each other. (The appeal for Oculus still goes forward)."
The other case referred to is the long-running legal battle between ZeniMax and virtual reality pioneer Oculus, which began in 2014. ZeniMax claimed that Carmack began developing technology at the core of Oculus Rift during his time at Id Software, and moved to sue Oculus.
In 2016, ZeniMax expanded its claims to include specific allegations against Carmack, and the case was settled when a Texas jury awarded $500 million to the publisher. A month later, Carmack filed his own lawsuit (the one that has now been settled), while Oculus announced it intended to appeal the jury's decision.
As Carmack said, this appeal is still ongoing.