The final offer
News of the acquisition gave me hope that now, with the pressure of a much larger entity looking over their shoulder, Marty might be encouraged to consider the benefits of a mutually beneficial outcome and rethink his position.
And so, for the second time, I proposed:
- I would produce a better version of the DOOM Eternal OST.
- But in return, I needed Marty to take down the Reddit post, publish a clarification and pay me for the extra music used in DOOM Eternal.
I can’t say I was keen on doing it, but I desperately tried to find a way to move forward and it was the only real option I had.
Again, lawyers acting for Marty were good at giving the impression of positivity. They seemed to be seriously considering the offer, saying they were taking it up the chain and getting “key stakeholders” onboard. However, any hope I had left eroded when they started to pull out the same old, tired, stalling tactics.
- As the months wore on, they became belligerent and inflexible, bringing nothing to the table but vague threats and circular arguments.
- They even degenerated into gaslighting tactics, trying to convince me that removing the Reddit post would somehow make my situation worse, so for the benefit of everyone, it should remain untouched.
They were unwavering in their insistence that the gag order was the only resolution possible, making it clear Marty had painted himself into a corner with no other way out.
Reddit Moderator: I reached out to one of the r/DOOM moderators. We made contact and arranged a call via Discord.
The moderator introduced himself and spoke about his love for the DOOM franchise and its fanbase. Along with the r/DOOM subreddit, he told me he also moderated the official DOOM Discord server.
- I told him how Marty’s Reddit post had affected me deeply, both professionally and personally. It was a source of ongoing stress and harm, and I asked if he’d consider removing it.
Much to my relief, he instantly took it down.
But within 12 hours, the post was reinstated. The moderator blocked me on Discord and didn’t reply to my emails.
- A few days later, Marty’s lawyers contacted me and said removing the Reddit post had greatly offended him. He was furious and made it clear in the strongest terms that an amicable resolution would be impossible.
This statement does not reflect the overwhelmingly positive, successful relationships I’ve had with many people and studios under the Zenimax umbrella. The games I worked on, and the people behind them, remain dear to my heart.
