The highly anticipated third installment of the modern Doom trilogy is on its way this year. This time around, we'll be following our hulking Doom Slayer protagonist to the Middle Ages as he slays more monsters and demons than ever before. Doom: The Dark Ages is a prequel, making it the perfect starting point for newcomers, but veterans won't feel left out either.
FANGORIA got a sneak peek at Doom: The Dark Ages before the Xbox Developer Direct 2025 today, January 23. Game director Hugo Martin and executive producer Marty Stratton sat in during the stream to walk me through some gameplay footage and to confirm some important details. They explained how the team attempted to make the game's combat feel fresh yet familiar and why they chose a medieval setting.
A new philosophy
While the combat in Doom: The Dark Ages isn't radically different from Doom (2016) and 2020's Doom Eternal, there are some tweaks and adjustments to make it so that it has its own distinctive feel. Martin said that Doom (2016) approach was called “run and gun” while Eternal's was “jump and shoot,” referencing the different mechanics in those games. Doom (2016) was the new baseline, introducing the reboot's basic mechanics, while Eternal took gameplay to new heights with the grappling hook.
Now, Doom: The Dark Ages' combat philosophy is “stand and fight,” referencing Doom Slayer's new toy, the saw shield. Here, he's much tankier than before, able to block, parry, throw, and deflect enemy attacks with his shield like a Captain America from hell. There are also some puzzle-solving mechanics where Doom Slayer can use his shield to hit certain environmental objects and open gates, similar to how Kratos in God of War uses his Leviathan Axe.
In Doom Eternal, Doom Slayer is finally able to wield the iconic Crucible sword, which players can use in actual gameplay. While it's been unconfirmed and unlikely that it'll return in The Dark Ages, players still have plenty of melee options. The trailer shows a new mace that the Doom Slayer can use, and there's sure more to be revealed later.
There's an extra emphasis on enemy projectiles, which makes strafing (moving side to side) a much more viable option than in the previous two games. Additionally, many of the guns have medium and short-range fire, still incentivizing players to close the distance and get some gruesome kills.
Speaking of gruesome kills, the franchise's iconic Glory Kills can now be unleashed at any angle, making them more flexible than ever before. Previously, Glory Kills were activated by standing right in front of enemies.
Martin also explained that The Dark Ages' controls have been simplified a bit, a result of player feedback from Doom Eternal. Some players said that Eternal had challenging controls, so the development sought to decrease their complexity. For example, Doom Slayer's shield is mapped to a single button, and the different block, parry, throw, and deflect mechanics are entirely contextual. The team didn't want players scrambling to figure out which buttons to press in the heat of battle.
As a result, Doom Slayer in The Dark Ages won't feel as acrobatic, but he makes up for it by having more defensive options than ever before. Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense, but Doom Slayer doesn't compromise on either.
Taking it back to the past
The development team fully leaned into the medieval concept for The Dark Ages, but also brought some futuristic elements into it. For example, players can pilot the Atlan, a giant mech that can fight off equally giant demons. As shown in previous trailers, Doom Slayer can also ride on dragons, fitting the medieval theme. Stratton said these mechanics are fully fleshed out and act like mini-games rather than one-time events, hinting that players can use them multiple times.
As a result, there won't be any multiplayer in The Dark Ages, as the development team wanted to focus solely on making the best single-player campaign it could for the game. There are a few more details shown, such as individual difficulty sliders to adjust parameters such as damage output. This lets players tailor their experiences and opens the game up to a much wider audience than previous games.
With the conclusion of Doom Eternal, the setting of the next installment was up in the air. After all, Doom Slayer fought off literal gods in the DLC. So, the development team decided to go back and explore the Middle Ages. Interestingly, while the game's final name is Doom: The Dark Ages, its codename during development was Doom Year Zero. Martin said that the name was changed because the team thought Doom Year Zero would be too much of a deep cut, and The Dark Ages got straight to the point.
In any case, this makes Doom: The Dark Ages the perfect entry point for newcomers, as the events in the game lead directly into Doom (2016), while having gameplay refinements veterans will appreciate.
When Microsoft purchased ZeniMax Studios back in 2020, Xbox managed to snag high-tier studios into its portfolio. Bethesda has been one of Xbox's premier developers since then, having the most consistent release cadence of all of Xbox's first-party studios. However, there's been some confusion as to whether Bethesda's games will land on rival platforms, such as the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo were timed PS5 exclusives for a year before landing on Xbox, and others, such as Redfall and Starfield are still Xbox exclusives. Hi-Fi Rush is already out on PS5, while Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is planned for a PS5 release later this year. With console sales stagnating, Xbox is trying to reach out to more players, even if it means giving their exclusives away to their direct competition.
When the Doom: The Dark Ages reveal trailer aired last year, Microsoft made it clear that the game would be a full multi-platform release. Xbox head Phil Spencer said that Doom was a franchise with a history of so many platforms, so it's one that everyone deserves to play. Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal were both multi-platform during their launch, so giving Doom: The Dark Ages the same treatment makes sense.
With the recent announcement of the Switch 2, it's possible that Doom: The Dark Ages could come to the undoubtedly more powerful version of Nintendo's hybrid console. Ultimately, the Nintendo Switch got ports of both Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal.
After months of waiting, Bethesda finally announced a release date. Doom: The Dark Ages launches on May 15, 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
