DOOM: The Dark Ageswas one of the several games that got the spotlight at the January 2025 Xbox Developer Direct, which included details on new gameplay mechanics as well as an official date for the game’s release. The developers at id Software put together an extensive deep dive presentation to break down the new combat mechanics players will have to master if they want to survive the coming battles inThe Dark Ages. New details were also provided on the game’s world and story, setting uphow this new entry will fit into the over thirty-year-old series.
Coming off the heels of 2020’sDoom Eternaland its DLC expansions,DOOM: The Dark Agesserves as a prequel to the 2016 soft reboot of the seriesand will likely fill in some key gaps in the franchise’s lore. Taking place in a techno-medieval setting that blends fantasy and sci-fi,The Dark Ageswill allow fans to experience the Doom Slayer’s exploits as previously alluded to in the various codices and lore found throughout the previousDOOMgames. Fortunately,players will only have to wait a little longeruntil they can sink their teeth intoThe Dark Ages.
When DOOM: The Dark Ages Releases In 2025
The Game Launches In Late Spring
No
Yes
Both the Premium Edition and the very pricey Collector’s Edition ofThe Dark Agescome with a suite of downloadable bonus content, including a future DLC expansion, a digital artbook and soundtrack, and the Divinity Skin Pack including skins for the Doom Slayer himself, his dragon mount, and his Atlan mech. Exclusive to the physical Collector’s Edition are a replica of the in-game keycards, gorgeous twelve-inch statue of the Doom Slayer, and a steelbook case. As an added bonus,anyone who preordersThe Dark Ageswill receive an extra Doom Slayer skin.
The Entire DOOM Timeline Explained: When Each Game Takes Place
The DOOM series has evolved the Doomguy from the original games of the 1990s to the reboot timeline of DOOM 2016, DOOM Eternal, and DOOM: Dark Ages.
As a subsidiary of Bethesda, id Software and theDOOMbrand are now owned by Microsoft.Despite this,DOOM: The Dark Ageswill be releasing on PS5 the same day as it launches on Xbox and Windowsin continuation of the franchise’s multi-platform legacy. Players interested in preordering the game ahead of launch can do so digitally onXbox,PlayStation Store, orSteam.
New Weapons In DOOM: The Dark Ages
A Killer Arsenal Highlighted By More Melee Options
The most exciting part of anyDOOMgame is the arsenal of weaponsthat the player will use to rip and shred through hordes of demons, andDOOM: The Dark Agesdoesn’t look like it’ll disappoint.At the core of the new combat system is the Shield Saw, a weapon the Doom Slayer carries alongside his main weapon and serves a variety of contextual uses. It can be launched as a projectile, wielded defensively to parry or reflect projectiles, used to finish off enemies, or even function as a makeshift grappling hook for platforming purposes.
You’ll Be Using DOOM: The Dark Ages Best New Weapon More Than You Expect
id Software shares some more insight into DOOM: The Dark Ages' new Shield Saw weapon, noting that players will use it more often than they think.
Fitting for its medieval trappings and name,The Dark Ageswill also arm the player with a set of new melee weapons. While the Doom Slayer in action with a flail was showcased when the game was announced, the new footage reveals two new weapons also added to the mix: an electrified power gauntlet and a spiked mace.These weapons will shape a revamped Glory Kill systemthat promises to offer more freedom and variety than found in the previous games, and each will also come with their own upgrades and combos to use in battle.
The real stars of the show are, of course, the new collection of guns that will be available, andThe Dark Ageshas some truly wild new firearms on display. There’s the accelerator, a weapon that looks to be similar in function to the plasma rifles of pastDOOMgames, and the rail spike gun that launches large nails that can pin enemies to walls for further punishment. Perhaps the most eye-catching is the skull crusher, a gun that grinds up skulls as ammo to spray a hail of bone shards for a wide range of damage.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Trailer & Gameplay Details
Stand & Fight Rather Than Run & Gun
One of the main points that the developers at id Software stressed during their presentation is thatDOOM: The Dark Ageswilldraw from the originalDOOMgameswith a stronger focus on strafe aiming.Combat inThe Dark Ageswill reward players who adopt a more grounded, heavy style of offensein contrast with the high-mobility combat emphasized in the previous installments. Speaking in the Developer Direct presentation, available on the officialBethesda SoftworksYouTube channel, producer Marty Stratton and director Hugo Martin illustrate the difference in philosophy between each of the three modernDOOMtitles:
You know we want everyDOOMgame to stand on its own, as a unique experience, so in 2016 we asked you to run and gun. InDOOM Eternalit was jump and shoot. And inDOOM: The Dark Ages, you’re gonna stand and fight.
This “stand and fight” approach appears in the gameplay footage, as the Doom Slayer remains largely motionless in combat, moving only in the form of quick dodges or to lunge in for a Glory Kill.The Shield Saw is on full display as a defensive tool, blocking a charging enemy and leaving it dazed or reflecting green-colored projectiles back at the attacker.The Dark Ageslooks to continue the series' trademark high-octane firefights withan increased emphasis on getting up and close and personalwith the legions of Hell.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Coolest Weapon Is Already Playable In Earlier Games Thanks To Fans
DOOM: The Dark Ages' coolest weapon is already playable in the original game thanks to a quick-thinking and especially talented modder.
The glimpses we get of two new gameplay styles are particularly enticing. Aerial combat sections put theDoom Slayer on the back of a dragonmount, and there are other segments wherethe player gets to take control of a colossal mech suitto combat kaiju-sized demons like something out of a twistedGodzillamovie. Stratton and Martin assure fans that these are not just one-and-done segments of the game, but that both the dragon and the mech will be fully fleshed-out aspects of the gameplay inDOOM: The Dark Ages.
