We're not doomed to fight the endless hordes of hell quite yet, but it's going to be happening a whole lot sooner than you might've expected. id Software announced during today's Xbox Developer Direct that Doom: The Dark Ages is nearly finished and just four months out from release: it's landing on May 15, 2025.
"In Doom: The Dark Ages you will feel like the superweapon in the center of a medieval war against hell," said game director Hugo Martin. "We've taken the narrative out of the codex and into the cutscenes, featuring new characters, old allies and powerful new villains."
Martin suggested that The Dark Ages will be something of a "return to form" in terms of classic '90s Doom, with seemingly an increased focus on dodging between enemy attacks while staying grounded.
"In Doom Eternal you felt like a fighter jet. In Doom: The Dark Ages, you'll be an iron tank: Heavy, strong, but still fast," Martin said. "A grounded combat system with an emphasis on power over the acrobatics of Doom Eternal, and a balance between enemy projectiles and player movement speed that makes strafing to aim viable again, just like in the classic Doom games."
Executive producer Marty Stratton also highlighted a series first: a new adjustable difficulty system aiming to make the game more accessible. You can independently adjust the parry window, damage, enemy projectile speed, and other modifiers. But the system isn't just about making the game easier: you can also speed it up and make it harder with the same modifiers.
The multi-purpose shield and new melee weapons seem like the real stars of Doom: The Dark Ages, though you'll also get to ride a dragon and pilot a giant mech. Some of these new features and capabilities feel like a significant departure from the running, gunning, and keycard hunting of classic Doom, so it's interesting to hear Martin describe the combat as a throwback in some ways. We'll be able to see how it all fits together in just a few months.
