Now that we're in May, Doom: The Dark Ages is right around the corner, with its release now just a matter of days away. Some shiny new trailers have dropped as we approach the Early Access period for those who snap up the Premium Edition ahead of May 13, followed by the global May 15 release date. Reviews are also now live, so you can get our very own verdict on the action just below.
Doom: The Dark Ages is set to add to a series that's long been counted as on of the best action game franchises of all-time. With the original Doom game dropping back in 1993, it's enjoyed more than three decades of installments - with the Doom reboot and Doom Eternal being the latest games to land in recent years. Now, Dark Ages promises to deliver it's own spin on the formula by looking to the original 1993 FPS for inspiration, along with everything from Star Wars to Batman Year One to re-shape the shooter for new-yet-classic feel.
As such it's easily one of the most exciting upcoming Xbox Series X games on the way from id Software and Bethesda Softworks - which fall under the Xbox Game Studios list. But it's also set to arrive on Sony's flagship console as well as PC, which means it's also among the upcoming PS5 game and upcoming PC games on the very near horizon. To get ready for the release, read on below as we recap everything we know so far about Doom: The Dark Ages.
Doom: The Dark Ages release date
Doom: The Dark Ages is confirmed for a May 15, 2025 release date. This comes off the back of the Xbox Developer Direct showcase in January, which showcased all the demon-hunting glory we'll be diving into in just a few short months. Those who pick up the Doom: The Dark Ages Premium Edition can also play the game two days before launch, with an Early Access period rolling out at 12am UTC on May 13.
Doom: The Dark Ages platforms
Doom: The Dark Ages will launch day and date on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 platforms. Given the rise in console exclusives, confirmation that Doom isn't heeding that particular call is welcome news. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass, as an in-hose game published by Bethesda.
Luckily, the game's team understood our universal love for one of the best action games in history. Earlier in the development cycle, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer told IGN that he and id Software Studio Director Marty Stratton wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to play Doom: The Dark Ages.
"I asked Marty what he wanted to do, and he said he wanted to sell it on all platforms; simple as that," Spencer explained.
Can you pre order Doom: The Dark Ages?
Doom: The Dark Ages pre-orders are now live. Retailers Best Buy and GAME are showing Standard edition PS5 and Xbox Series X copies going for £64.99 / $69.99 (US), £94.99 / $99.99 for Premium, and a Collector's Edition offered at select storefronts. You can also pick it up for PC via Steam, though the US price points seem slightly elevated from those offered at GAME.
Doom: The Dark Ages review
You can now read our full Doom: The Dark Ages review to ger our verdict on the new Doom game, which feels like a "solid entry" that draws from older entries, but does fumble some its new features. The review embargo lifted ahead of the Early Access period on May 13 and the global launch on May 15. You can also get quick overview of our thoughts in the above 60 second review video.
Doom: The Dark Ages trailers
The first Doom: The Dark Ages trailer above gives us our first look at the Doom Slayer before his appearance in the Doom reboot. In the clip, he shoots his way through burning castles, fights some gnarly-looking enemies, and rips through waves of demons.
Besides showing us an almost fantasy-like setting and the Doom Slayer's new cape, the teaser also lets fans check out some of the upcoming weapons. Of course, we see a shotgun (the Doom Slayer's best friend), but we also see a chainsaw shield that looks straight out of a slasher movie, a gun that spits skull fragments at enemies, and several other devices for annihilating all those pesky demons. What's more, Doom: The Dark Ages sees the return of the controversial Sprint mechanic for the first time since 2004, and this time, it sounds good.
Bethesda Softworks dropped a second trailer back in April in the leadup to launch, which showed off some action, complete with some Doom lore and story details - including a big demon king who appears to have plans to grow his power, and thus a request is made to "launch the Slayer". To mark the Early Access period starting on May 13, a launch trailer has also dropped to give us one last taste of what's in store before the releases globally on May 15.
Both the world and the enemies look massive, like seriously, there are demon dragons in that first trailer. Basically, it seems like Doom is coming back and is better than ever. And if the game is half as exciting as this trailer, then Doom: The Dark Ages may just join some of its predecessors on our list of the best shooters of all time.
Doom: The Dark Ages gameplay
It will shock no one to hear that Doom: The Dark Ages is a single-player FPS. But what may surprise you is that the new game is a prequel to the 2016 Doom reboot and Doom Eternal. We're officially going back to the time when the Doom Slayer was used as a weapon for Gods and Kings.
That means instead of the high-tech weapons we saw in Doom Eternal, you'll be wielding a skull gun, a mace, and a saw shield during your medieval stand-off against the forces of hell. While this setting and all the Doom: The Dark Ages weapons seem like relatively new concepts, Doom: The Dark Ages is actually going to be pretty familiar to long-time Doom players in terms of its core gameplay.
Creative director Hugo Martin told GamesRadar+ that Doom: The Dark Ages is going back to the original Doom games when it comes to gameplay. That means every projectile is going to count and strafing is coming back in a big way.
"If you were an F22 fighter jet in Doom Eternal, this time around, we wanted you to feel like an Abrams tank," Martin explained. This means that you'll be more grounded as a player." Players will be weaving between projectiles - just like the original Doom - and all this talk on "strafing-to-aim" indicates we are going back to horizontality instead of the verticality seen in Doom Eternal.
"The combat system for new players – those who only got into Doom with the reboot – I think with The Dark Ages, they are going to feel like this is a reimagined combat system," Martin said. "But for long-time fans of the series, people who played the original Doom, you'll see it's really a return to form."
Martin has also teased that Doom Eternal will have the "biggest spaces," the "biggest AI," and the most powerful feeling weapons that we’ve ever seen in a Doom game. That’s a big statement but an exciting one. So, fingers crossed that Doom: The Dark Ages delivers on its promises.
Speaking with Edge Magazine, Martin also explained the reasoning behind the decision to lean into the medieval fantasy, as it meant that "we could get more dark and sinister with the tool kit". By drawing on dark, medieval imagery such as chains, ropes, spikes, and torture devices, Martin also shed light on how that also influenced the look and design of some of the weapons in the upcoming FPS, including a weapon that shoots out a metal ball on a chain "to break bones with", and a "rail spike" that's "literally a hammer and a giant spike".
Doom: The Dark Ages is also said to feature "the largest spaces" id Software has ever made that are "sandbox-like" in design, so you can get your fill of exploration if you want to. For more, you can check out our Doom: The Dark Ages big preview ahead of launch on May 15.
We will keep you updated as soon as we hear more details. In the meantime, you can check out our list of all the upcoming horror games coming out this year to get your demon fix, or if you fancy cracking on with your console, check out all the best games on Game Pass to play right now.
