It's finally May, and Doom: The Dark Ages is two weeks out from launch. First announced at Xbox Games Showcase 2024, we learned of its May 15 release date (with a bonus two-day head start from May 13 for premium edition pre-orders) back in January.
Not only is this one of the most exciting upcoming Xbox Series X games of he year, it's set to launch on Sony's flagship console too. That makes it a great pick for anyone looking for cross-platform experiences, being both an upcoming PS5 game and upcoming PC game to boot – and now, we're only days away from it.
Since the first Doom game in 1993, the series has earned its stripes as one of the most iconic and best action game franchises ever. Doom: The Dark Ages is set to put its own spin on that tried and tested formula; as a prequel to the Doom reboot and Doom Eternal (aka some of the best FPS games of all-time), The Dark Ages will take us back in time and go full medieval. Developer id Software looked 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.
But it's not all old-school - the developer has confirmed that its new game will be a "dramatic expansion" of the Doom universe, healthily stocked with a fresh array of weapons to unload into a variety of ghastly new enemy types. You'll also be able to shield parry, and there looks like a heightened focus on melee as well as ranged combat this time. Read more about that in our Doom: The Dark Ages big preview if you want a sense of how the game looks and feels.
It's safe to say that the new Doom game is one of our most wanted titles of 2025. Here's a full breakdown of everything we know about Doom: The Dark Ages before it launches on May 15!
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. There's still plenty of time to replay the series' greatest hits, though, so check out our Doom Eternal review if you need a refresher) in the meantime!
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?
Yes! Doom: The Dark Ages pre-orders are now live. Retailers Best Buy and GAMEare 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 trailer
The 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.
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.
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.
