DOOM: The Dark Ages Attracts Three Million Players, Dev’s Biggest Launch in Its History

DOOM: The Dark Ages has been engaged by over three million players since its launch last week, making it the largest debut for developer id Software in its entire timeline.

Bethesda announced the update in a tweet, also confirming that the new title achieved this landmark seven times quicker than its predecessor, DOOM Eternal. Besides being available for full price on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, it also debuted on Game Pass on day one.

Regarding the contrast with DOOM Eternal, the second entry in the trilogy did not debut on Game Pass but was introduced to the service approximately six months post-launch.

This update contradicts fan concerns that emerged over the weekend, where amateur analysts monitored the game’s concurrent player statistics on Steam, which never exceeded 32,000 users. When compared to other recent launches like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Oblivion Remastered, it seemed that the FPS wasn’t performing particularly well. However, with the latest update from Bethesda, it seems that narrative is unfounded.

In our DOOM: The Dark Ages PS5 review, we rated the shooter an 8/10, stating: “Dedicate some time to adapting to DOOM: The Dark Ages, and you’ll uncover another incredibly intense first-person shooter.” We also have a comprehensive overview of all collectibles in the game in our DOOM: The Dark Ages guide.