DOOM: The Dark Ages: Shields, Dragons and id's Biggest Launch Ever
id Software slowed Doom down, gave the Slayer a shield and a 30-storey mech, and had the most successful launch in its history. With the Revelations expansion out, here is why The Dark Ages is the most unusual modern Doom.
For three decades, Doom has had one rule: keep moving. DOOM: The Dark Ages broke it. id Software's 2025 shooter asks you to stand your ground, raise a shield and parry a wall of green projectiles back at a demon the size of a building.
It worked. The Dark Ages launched on May 15, 2025 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, reached 3 million players in its first week, the biggest launch in id's history and seven times faster than Doom Eternal, and scored 85 on Metacritic for PC and Xbox. In July 2026, the Revelations expansion arrived and scored 89 on OpenCritic, higher than the base game.
A prequel in a darker age
The Dark Ages is the eighth main Doom game and a prequel to Doom (2016). It is set mostly on the planet Argent D'Nur, with a medieval, almost fantasy look: castles, siege engines and gothic armour instead of Martian research bases.
The story takes more time than any previous Doom, with more cutscenes and more characters around the Slayer. Director Hugo Martin and executive producer Marty Stratton led the project, which ran on the new id Tech 8 engine with physics and destructible environments.
The Shield Saw and the heavy feel
The big idea is the Shield Saw: one button to block, parry and attack. Instead of dashing around enemies as in Eternal, you plant your feet, deflect attacks and throw the shield like a buzz saw. New melee weapons, a gauntlet, an iron mace and a flail, push you into close combat, while the Skull Crusher fires bone fragments.
Then there are the set pieces. For the first time in the series, you can pilot vehicles: a cybernetic dragon and a 30-storey Atlan mech, used in special sections that change the scale of the fights. Slow-motion glory kills replace some of the old instant executions.
Critics mostly loved the result. 95% of critics on OpenCritic recommend it, Game Informer and Destructoid gave it 9.5/10, and IGN 9/10. A few dissented, saying it felt too tied to its predecessors.
Game Pass, accessibility and a new composer
The Dark Ages was the first Doom available on Xbox Game Pass on day one, which helps explain the huge player count. It also launched on PS5 at the same time; Microsoft's then gaming chief Phil Spencer argued that a series with Doom's multiplatform history was one "everyone deserves to play".
At The Game Awards 2025, it won Innovation in Accessibility, thanks to its unusually detailed difficulty and accessibility settings. It was also nominated for Best Action Game.
The music marked a change too. After the split with Mick Gordon, composer of the previous two games, the score was handled by Finishing Move Inc.
Revelations: the expansion that beat the base game
The expansion DOOM: The Dark Ages: Revelations came out on July 7, 2026. It adds a spear to the Slayer's arsenal and features vocals from Phil Bozeman of the metal band Whitechapel. Its OpenCritic score of 89 puts it among the best-reviewed releases of 2026, and above the base game's reception.
Why it matters
id could have made Doom Eternal 2. Instead it slowed the series down and built new mechanics around defence. That is a big risk for a series famous for speed, and the reception shows that fans will follow a bold idea if the combat feels this good.
WGC's take: The Dark Ages is the best entry point to modern Doom for players who found Eternal overwhelming. Try it on Game Pass, and if it clicks, Revelations is worth the extra money. For more of the year's biggest games, read our 2025 AAA year in review.