At last, we have a Doom: The Dark Ages release date set in stone. The news came during January's Xbox Developer Direct, confirming not only the May 15 release date, but the platforms, too. This makes the new Doom game only the second in-house Xbox game to launch day and date on PS5 as well as the Microsoft console and PC.
The prequel to some of the best FPS games of all time (the Doom reboot and Doom Eternal), Doom: The Dark Ages, was officially announced during the 2024 Xbox showcase and will throw us into a medieval fantasy-like setting. Taking a step back in time, we'll be defending kingdoms - blasting hordes of demon armies with our handy shotgun. Although there hasn't been a lot of new information about the upcoming game to unpack,
With a brand new setting, new enemies, and an array of new weapons, there are still plenty of details to keep track of. So, to make your crusade against hell a bit easier, we've gathered all the intel that you need before the carnage begins in May. From the Doom: The Dark Ages release date, gameplay, trailer, and more - here's everything you need to know about one of the most anticipated new games heading our way.
Doom: The Dark Ages release date
Doom: The Dark Ages is confirmed for a May 15, 2025 release date. This comes off the back of the Xbox Developer Direct showcase in January, which showcased all the demon-hunting glory we'll be diving into in just a few short months. There's still plenty of time to replay the series' greatest hits, though, so check out our Doom Eternal review if you need a refresher) in the meantime!
Doom: The Dark Ages platforms
Doom: The Dark Ages will launch day and date on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 platforms. Given the rise in console exclusives, confirmation that Doom isn't heeding that particular call is welcome news. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass, as an in-hose game published by Bethesda.
Luckily, the game's team understood our universal love for one of the best action games in history. Earlier in the development cycle, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer told IGN that he and id Software Studio Director Marty Stratton wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to play Doom: The Dark Ages.
"I asked Marty what he wanted to do, and he said he wanted to sell it on all platforms; simple as that," Spencer explained.
Can you pre order Doom: The Dark Ages?
Yes! Doom: The Dark Ages pre-orders are now live. Retailers Best Buy and GAMEare showing Standard edition PS5 and Xbox Series X copies going for £64.99 / $69.99 (US), £94.99 / $99.99 for Premium, and a Collector's Edition offered at select storefronts. You can also pick it up for PC via Steam, though the US price points seem slightly elevated from those offered at GAME.
Doom: The Dark Ages trailer
The Doom: The Dark Ages trailer above gives us our first look at the Doom Slayer before his appearance in the Doom reboot. In the clip, he shoots his way through burning castles, fights some gnarly-looking enemies, and rips through waves of demons.
Besides showing us an almost fantasy-like setting and the Doom Slayer's new cape, the teaser also lets fans check out some of the upcoming weapons. Of course, we see a shotgun (the Doom Slayer's best friend), but we also see a chainsaw shield that looks straight out of a slasher movie, a gun that spits skull fragments at enemies, and several other devices for annihilating all those pesky demons. What's more, Doom: The Dark Ages sees the return of the controversial Sprint mechanic for the first time since 2004, and this time, it sounds good.
Both the world and the enemies look massive, like seriously, there are demon dragons in that first trailer. Basically, it seems like Doom is coming back and is better than ever. And if the game is half as exciting as this trailer, then Doom: The Dark Ages may just join some of its predecessors on our list of the best shooters of all time.
Doom: The Dark Ages gameplay
It will shock no one to hear that Doom: The Dark Ages is a single-player FPS. But what may surprise you is that the new game is a prequel to the 2016 Doom reboot and Doom Eternal. We're officially going back to the time when the Doom Slayer was used as a weapon for Gods and Kings.
That means instead of the high-tech weapons we saw in Doom Eternal, you'll be wielding a skull gun, a mace, and a saw shield during your medieval stand-off against the forces of hell. While this setting and all the Doom: The Dark Ages weapons seem like relatively new concepts, Doom: The Dark Ages is actually going to be pretty familiar to long-time Doom players in terms of its core gameplay.
Creative director Hugo Martin told GamesRadar+ that Doom: The Dark Ages is going back to the original Doom games when it comes to gameplay. That means every projectile is going to count and strafing is coming back in a big way.
"If you were an F22 fighter jet in Doom Eternal, this time around, we wanted you to feel like an Abrams tank," Martin explained. This means that you'll be more grounded as a player." Players will be weaving between projectiles - just like the original Doom - and all this talk on "strafing-to-aim" indicates we are going back to horizontality instead of the verticality seen in Doom Eternal.
"The combat system for new players – those who only got into Doom with the reboot – I think with The Dark Ages, they are going to feel like this is a reimagined combat system," Martin said. "But for long-time fans of the series, people who played the original Doom, you'll see it's really a return to form."
Martin has also teased that Doom Eternal will have the "biggest spaces," the "biggest AI," and the most powerful feeling weapons that we’ve ever seen in a Doom game. That’s a big statement but an exciting one. So, fingers crossed that Doom: The Dark Ages delivers on its promises.
We will keep you updated as soon as we hear more details. In the meantime, you can check out our list of all the upcoming horror games coming out this year to get your demon fix, or if you fancy cracking on with your console, check out all the best games on Game Pass to play right now.
