Doom co-designer still has the real chainsaw that inspired the OG FPS's iconic weapon, even though it leaks oil and "was kept in a bowl at the id offices"

Doom's chainsaw in front of a blurred background.

Doom set the standard for every FPS game that would follow, and its lineup of iconic weapons is a big part of its staying power. Sure, the shotgun and the BFG 9000 might still be the headliners, but Doom just wouldn't be Doom without the chainsaw. As it turns out, Doom's chainsaw was inspired by a real-life bit of machinery that co-designer Tom Hall kept for all these years.

"The chainsaw in DOOM was modelled off of Tom Hall’s Eager Beaver chainsaw," according to a Bluesky post from Romero Games. "It leaked oil, and so was kept in a bowl in the id offices. Tom still has it!" To illustrate the point, the post includes a photo of OG Doom lead John Romero posing with the chainsaw in a semi-modern photo.