Doom: The Dark Ages Is the 'Biggest Launch' in ID Software History

Doom: The Dark Ages has become the “biggest launch” in developer ID Software’s history, Bethesda announced Wednesday. The publisher confirmed that the first-person shooter had crossed three million players, but did not share initial sales figures. Doom: The Dark Ages has reached the milestone in less than a week since it launched on May 15 across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

Doom: The Dark Ages Hits 3 Million Players

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday, Bethesda said the game was now ID Software’s “biggest launch” ever, reaching three million players seven times faster than its predecessor, Doom Eternal.

“Thank you for making DOOM: The Dark Ages the biggest launch in id’s history,” the publisher said.

The three million player mark represents players across all platforms and likely also includes Xbox Game Pass members, who received free access to the game with their subscription. Doom: The Dark Ages launched on the service day one, alongside its release on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

On Steam, the game has recorded a peak concurrent player count of just over 31,000, as per SteamDB charts. While it’s still early, the number is considerably smaller than Doom Eternal’s peak concurrent player count on Steam, which stands at 104,891. However, with Doom: The Dark Ages launching on Game Pass, a sizable chunk of players on PC likely comes from PC Game Pass subscribers.

Doom: The Dark Ages launched on May 15, with early access for those who pre-ordered the Premium Edition beginning on May 13. The shooter serves as a prequel to Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal and puts players back into the boots of the iconic Doom Slayer in the middle of a medieval war against hell.

The Dark Ages also brings a host of new gameplay changes, opting for a more anchored experience in combat. Players also get access to new melee weapons and a Shield Saw that can be utilised to parry incoming attacks and quickly close down the distance between the player and an enemy and deliver a melee attack.