DOOM: The Dark Ages Sets Record with 3 Million Players at Launch

DOOM: The Dark Ages marks id Software’s most successful launch, attracting 3 million players. Discover how it stacks up against DOOM: Eternal and explore upcoming PC-exclusive updates.

DOOM: The Dark Ages Hits the Scene!

id Software’s Most Monumental Launch Yet

DOOM: The Dark Ages debuted last week to widespread acclaim, earning high marks from multiple review outlets. A May 21 post on X by Bethesda revealed the game has surpassed 3 million players, securing its place as id Software’s largest launch ever.

The milestone was reached seven times faster than DOOM: Eternal, according to Bethesda’s post. However, this contrasts with Superdata’s 2020 estimate that DOOM: Eternal hit 3 million players within 10 days of release. Note that these figures are estimates, and Bethesda has not officially commented on the discrepancy.

Comparing the two titles requires broader context. At the time of DOOM: Eternal’s release, Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax Media, was not yet acquired by Microsoft, so it wasn’t available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

In contrast, DOOM: The Dark Ages launched day one on PC Game Pass, impacting its Steam performance. SteamDB reports a peak of 31,470 players, significantly lower than DOOM: Eternal’s 104,891 at launch. Ampere’s estimates suggest 2 million of DOOM: The Dark Ages’ players are from Xbox.

Still, fans consider it one of the franchise’s finest entries. At Game8, we rated DOOM: The Dark Ages 88 out of 100 for its raw, grounded reimagining of the DOOM series, swapping the high-flying combat of DOOM (2016) and Eternal for a heavier, more intense experience. Dive into our full review below for more insights!