What you need to know
- The long-awaited follow-up to DOOM Eternal is actually more of a prequel, as id Software and Bethesda take us back in time.
- During the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, DOOM: The Dark Ages was unveiled as a slower, heavier, and even more brutal DOOM adventure.
- Continuing DOOM's legacy, The Dark Ages is arriving on Xbox, Windows PC, and PlayStation in 2025.
- Of course, it'll also be a day one addition to Xbox and PC Game Pass, as well as Xbox Cloud Gaming.
The latest Xbox Games Showcase may be all about the future of Xbox and Windows PC gaming, but the newest chapter in the legendary DOOM franchise is actually a dramatic look into the past. DOOM: The Dark Ages is finally official following rumors and speculation, and you can check out its reveal trailer from the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 right now.
Instead of equipping players with new fast-paced abilities and a powerful assortment of ranged weaponry, id Software and Bethesda Softworks is taking DOOM back into the medieval era, giving the studio a chance to tell a fresh story that's slower, more grounded, and more brutal than ever. DOOM: The Dark Ages was previously rumored, and now we have to wonder no more.
- Check out our LIVE Xbox Games Showcase 2024 coverage
The reveal trailer above shows how id Software is taking "rip and tear" to an all-new level, with the Doom Slayer getting their hands particularly dirty this time around. There's a ton of potential in the DOOM universe for original and fresh stories, and The Dark Ages will enjoy a medieval-inspired theme with appropriately knightly demons and monsters. You can see the evolved violence for yourself, and it looks epic.
The story actually follows the hateful origins of the might Doom Slayer, and features a clash of the familiar and all-new. You may recognize the legendary shotgun but be shocked by the wicked chainsaw-equipped shield, just like you may spot demons you've fought before but then be challenged anew by a terrifying dragon. It'll be interesting to see how id Software evolves the DOOM formula once again in The Dark Ages.
Following earlier speculation, DOOM: The Dark Ages continues the franchise's multiplatform support, as DOOM: The Dark Ages is launching simultaneously on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. Given id Software's track record, it seems pretty safe that DOOM: The Dark Ages will end up being one of the best Xbox games when it finally arrives. Of course, you can also expect the game to be a day one addition to Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
