Inquiry Already Underway Over Lacklustre DOOM: The Dark Ages Opening

DOOM: The Dark Ages has not exactly begun its journey on a strong note when considering its Steam concurrent player counts.

Although this metric only offers a glimpse into the game’s overall reception, it has peaked at 30,802 players, with the figures seeming unlikely to rise significantly during the weekend.

To provide context, the last installment, DOOM Eternal, reached a peak of 106,891 players, meaning it drew in over three times the amount that id Software’s latest title has garnered.

However, there are nuances to keep in mind: The Dark Ages is accessible through Xbox Game Pass, potentially diverting players from Steam. It’s important to note that both Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered are also part of Microsoft’s subscription service, and they boast far higher player counts than DOOM.

There’s also the chance that the game is performing better on consoles, as it ranks third on the PS Store’s top-selling list, trailing only NBA 2K25 and Fortnite. Yet, considering the series’ history on PC, it seems improbable that the PS5 version is vastly outpacing sales.

All of this has prompted an inquiry into the potential issues at hand. The game indeed has received favorable critiques – we rated it an 8/10 – but some believe an overwhelming number of excellent game releases recently may be hindering fans from diving in.

Others have mentioned the game’s steep price, observing that $69.99 is quite hefty for a standalone single-player first-person shooter today, regardless of its merit.

Regardless, we require significantly more insight than merely Steam concurrent players to reach any definite conclusion on DOOM: The Dark Ages’ initial week performance. It does appear to be starting off slower than anticipated, though.