DOOM: The Dark Ages is one of the most anticipated games of 2025, so the eyes of the public were on today’s Developers_Direct, a presentation where we had an extensive look at id Software’s next work and, as it had already been leaked, The release date of this installment has been confirmed, and the wait is almost over.
First of all, id Software finally confirmed that DOOM: The Dark Ages will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, as well as Game Pass day one, on May 15, 2025. Along with this, the developers They shared more information about this title, making it clear that with this installment they have taken the series to a new level of first-person combat.
id Software focused on three segments in particular. The first of these is the gameplay. DOOM: The Dark Ages will still be a first-person shooter, but it will be different from what we saw in DOOM: Eternal. The 2020 installment had a focus on mobility, and with the new title the developers want the player to feel like a tank, so greater weight has been given to the protagonist’s power, rather than his speed.
To convey this, not only do we have a large number of guns at our disposal, but the DOOM Slayer also has a number of melee weapons, such as a mace and his fists. However, the focus this time is the shield. This artifact will not only allow us to defend ourselves against certain attacks, but it is also possible to perform parrys, and even reflect some enemy attacks.
The studio wants this version of the DOOM Slayer to be a tank capable of doing a lot of damage and resisting it. The focus on hand-to-hand combat also changes the way glory kills work, since they are now contextual, and we can even make use of the protagonist’s different weapons. Best of all, there will also be sections where we can control a mecha and a dragon, each offering the feeling of power that the team wants to convey so much. Along with this, the difficulty system has been redesigned, allowing the adventure to be more accessible to more people, but maintaining the challenge that we are all used to.
The second pillar of the game is exploration. This time around the levels will be much larger, providing something the developers have called a sandbox experience. These sections are huge, with multiple secrets and treasures to discover. At the same time, a skill tree is introduced that allows us to focus on certain aspects of the protagonist.
The third focus was history. DOOM: The Dark Ages is a prequel to DOOM (2016), which makes it a perfect entry point for anyone who has always shown an interest in the series. Along with this, the developers have made it clear that they have created a blockbuster, so we can expect moment of action after moment of action.
As an additional detail, we had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with Marty Stratton, executive producer at id Software, and Hugo Martin, creative director at id Software, who confirmed that DOOM: The Dark Ages will not have any multiplayer elements. This means that the focus is entirely on the single-player campaign.
Finally, and as many already suspected, Mick Gordon will not participate in this installment, and instead the music is provided by Finishing Move. Remember, DOOM: The Dark Ages will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, as well as Game Pass day one, on May 15, 2025. On related topics, Bethesda announced a new DOOM collection. Likewise, there was almost a crossover between DOOM and Halo in Secret Level.
Author’s Note:
I’m very excited for DOOM: The Dark Ages. After watching the presentation, it is clear that this will be one of the best games of the year and, perhaps, the best entry in the series. There is no doubt, id Software knows very well what it is doing.
Via: Xbox