DOOM: The Dark Ages is id Software’s biggest launch with 3 million players. Explore how it stacks up against DOOM: Eternal and discover the upcoming exclusive updates for PC.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is Out Now!
Biggest Launch in id Software’s History
DOOM: The Dark Ages launched last week to widespread acclaim, earning high praise from numerous review sites. A recent Twitter (X) post from Bethesda on May 21 revealed that the game has surpassed 3 million players, marking the largest launch in id Software’s history.
The post highlights that this milestone was achieved seven times faster than with their previous title, DOOM: Eternal. However, this claim conflicts with Superdata's 2020 report, which stated that DOOM: Eternal hit the 3 million player mark within 10 days of its release. It's crucial to consider that these figures are estimates, and Bethesda has not officially commented on this matter.
When comparing the player numbers of both games, it's essential to consider broader contexts. At the time of DOOM: Eternal’s release, Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Media, had not yet been acquired by Microsoft, meaning it was not available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
In contrast, DOOM: The Dark Ages was available on PC Game Pass from day one, which influenced its Steam performance. According to SteamDB, DOOM: The Dark Ages reached an all-time peak of 31,470 players, significantly lower than DOOM: Eternal's peak of 104,891 players at launch. Analyst firm Ampere estimates that 2 million of DOOM: The Dark Ages' players are from Xbox.
Despite these differences, fans consider DOOM: The Dark Ages to be one of the finest entries in the franchise. Here at Game8, we awarded it an 88 out of 100, celebrating its brutal renaissance of the DOOM series. It trades the aerial flair of DOOM (2016) and Eternal for a more grounded, gritty combat experience. For a deeper dive into our review, check out our detailed article below!
