DOOM: The Dark Ages has officially launched and welcomed over 3 million players, marking it as id Software’s most successful launch to date. Discover how it compares to DOOM: Eternal, and what exclusive updates await PC players in the near future.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is Out Now!

A Record-Breaking Debut – id Software’s Largest Launch Ever

Launched last week, DOOM: The Dark Ages received widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) by Bethesda on May 21, the title surpassed 3 million players, making it the biggest launch in id Software's history.

Bethesda claims this milestone was achieved seven times faster than its predecessor, DOOM: Eternal. However, this conflicts with Superdata’s 2020 estimate that DOOM: Eternal reached 3 million players within just ten days of release. It's worth noting that these figures are estimates, and Bethesda has never officially confirmed player numbers for DOOM: Eternal.

When comparing both titles, context matters. At the time of DOOM: Eternal's launch, Bethesda was still under ZeniMax Media—before Microsoft’s acquisition—which meant the game wasn’t available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

In contrast, DOOM: The Dark Ages launched day-and-date on PC Game Pass, which likely influenced its broader reach. According to SteamDB, the game peaked at 31,470 concurrent Steam players, significantly lower than DOOM: Eternal’s peak of 104,891. Analyst firm Ampere estimates that around 2 million players come from the Xbox ecosystem.

Despite the variance in platform performance, the game is being celebrated as one of the strongest entries in the franchise. At Game8, we awarded DOOM: The Dark Ages an impressive 88 out of 100, praising its intense reimagining of the series. The gameplay shifts from the acrobatic style of DOOM (2016) and Eternal to a more grounded, visceral combat experience.

Want to dive deeper into our thoughts on the game? Check out our full review here.