Summary
Fans won’t need to worry aboutDoom: The Dark Agesending the reboot trilogy, according to the game’s director, Hugo Martin. A prequel to 2016’sDoomreboot andDoom Eternal,Doom: The Dark Ageswas first revealed back in June at Xbox’s wildly impressive Summer Game Fest Showcase. Out of everything announced at the show,Doom: The Dark Agessat atop many Xbox fans' most anticipated lists, and is one of Xbox’s biggest 2025 games.
More recently,Doom: The Dark Ageshad a major presence atXbox’s Developer Direct last week, where fans were treated to a detailed deep dive into many of the game’s systems. Combat was a major focus of the showing, where fans got a glimpse at the Doom Slayer’s epic new medieval melee weapons like a flail, a mace, and even a throwable saw-toothed shield that players can also use to parry enemy attacks.Doom: The Dark Ages' reworked glory kills were on display as well, alongside several of the game’s outrageous guns.
In aseparate preview eventprior toDoom: The Dark Ages' thrilling Xbox Developer Direct deep dive, the game’s director Hugo Martin spoke briefly about the future ofDoomat id Software. Martin mentioned thatDoom: The Dark Ageswon’t be the conclusion of the reboot series, and that he “wouldn’t have a problem doing this for a long time.”
Doom: The Dark Ages Won’t Conclude The Doom Reboot Series
Considering how popular and commercially successfulDoomhas been since its 2016 reboot, Martin’s eagerness to make even moreDoomgames doesn’t seem too surprising. It also wouldn’t make a ton of sense forDoom: The Dark Ages, a prequel, to end the series. WhileDoom Eternal’s The Ancient Gods DLCsseemed to have wrapped up the reboot storyline with a bow, there may be some room in between these reboot entries to explore new games.
This [Doom: The Dark Ages] isn’t designed to be the end of something…I wouldn’t have a problem doing this for a long time.
While Martin’s words are great to hear forDoomfans, enthusiasts of id Software’s other FPS franchises,QuakeandRage,must surely be disappointed.Quakewas just as popular as the originalDoomgames of the 90s, but fans of the franchise have been hoping for a2016-styleQuakerebootfor quite some time.Rageis a bit of a different story, asRage 2was not critically or commercially successful. It’s because of this that there doesn’t seem to be much hope left forRage,regardless of whether id Software triples down onDoommoving forward.
Hugo Martin’s comments are surely exciting, but it’ll be quite a number of years at the very least before id Software will be ready to share what’s next forDoom. Right now,Doom: The Dark Agesis gearing up for its much anticipated May 15 release. It’ll launch on Xbox Series X and S, PC, and PlayStation 5, and will drop day one onto Xbox Game Pass.
WHERE TO PLAY
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELLDOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine.REIGN IN HELLAs the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for.STAND AND FIGHTExperience an epic story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war.DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMSIn his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id’s largest and most expansive levels to date.
