DOOM: Dark Ages Hits 3M Players, id’s Biggest Launch

DOOM: The Dark Ages Is Now Available!

Record-Breaking Launch for id Software

DOOM: The Dark Ages launched last week to overwhelming enthusiasm, receiving stellar reviews across gaming platforms. Bethesda revealed via Twitter (X) on May 21 that the title has surpassed 3 million players, marking the most successful launch in id Software's 30-year history.

The developer noted this milestone was achieved seven times faster than their previous installment, DOOM: Eternal. However, this conflicts with 2020 reports from Superdata suggesting DOOM: Eternal reached 3 million players within its first 10 days. These discrepancies may stem from differences in tracking methodologies, as Bethesda never officially confirmed Eternal's early player counts.

Context matters when comparing these launches. During DOOM: Eternal's release, publisher Bethesda remained independent from Microsoft, meaning it wasn't available on Xbox Game Pass. In contrast, DOOM: The Dark Ages debuted simultaneously on PC Game Pass, significantly impacting its Steam statistics. SteamDB records show an all-time peak of 31,470 concurrent players - substantially lower than Eternal's 104,891 launch peak. Industry analyst Ampere estimates approximately 2 million Dark Ages players accessed the game through Xbox platforms.

Despite platform variations, fans and critics alike are hailing this as one of the franchise's strongest entries. Our team at Game8 awarded it an 88/100 score, praising its brutal reimagining of DOOM's core combat while shifting from Eternal's aerial mobility to a more grounded, medieval-inspired carnage.