Id Software’s medieval shooter has carved out a thunderous debut, drawing attention across all platforms.
Doom: The Dark Ages has stormed past three million players less than a week after its release, making it the biggest launch in id Software’s history, according to publisher Bethesda.
The milestone was shared on Wednesday (21 May), via the company’s official X (formerly Twitter) account. Bethesda confirmed that the medieval-themed first-person shooter had reached the three-million mark across all platforms, including PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, as well as Xbox Game Pass.
“Thank you for making DOOM: The Dark Ages the biggest launch in id's history,” the publisher posted.
Doom: The Dark Ages makes a blazing start, outpacing Doom Eternal
Doom: The Dark Ages, the latest entry in the long-running Doom franchise has outpaced Doom Eternal in terms of player count, hitting the player milestone seven times faster than its predecessor. While no sales figures have been shared, it’s likely the count includes those playing through Xbox Game Pass, where the game launched on day one.
On Steam, Doom: The Dark Ages has recorded a peak concurrent player count of just over 31,000. Though that number falls short of Doom Eternal's record of 104,891 peak players on the platform, the presence of the game on PC Game Pass may account for the difference.
Released officially on 15 May, with early access granted to Premium Edition pre-order holders two days earlier, Doom: The Dark Ages takes players back in time to explore the origins of the Doom Slayer. Set in a dark medieval world under siege by demonic forces, the game acts as a prequel to both Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal.
At GosuGamers, we found Doom: The Dark Ages to be a fantastic shooter, even if it feels slightly less focused than its predecessors. Whether the game’s momentum will carry it through the coming weeks remains to be seen, but it has certainly made a fiery first impression on many players.
