"DOOM: The Dark Ages Launches with 3 Million Players, id Software's Biggest Ever"

DOOM: The Dark Ages Opens to 3 Million Players, id Software's Biggest Launch

DOOM: The Dark Ages is id Software's most successful launch to date, boasting an impressive 3 million players. Dive deeper into how it stacks up against DOOM: Eternal, and discover the exciting exclusive updates planned for PC.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is Out Now!

Biggest Launch in id Software’s History

Last week saw the release of DOOM: The Dark Ages, which has been met with enthusiastic acclaim across numerous review platforms. Bethesda announced via a Twitter (X) post on May 21 that the game has already amassed over 3 million players, marking the most significant launch in id Software's history.

The tweet highlighted that this milestone was reached seven times faster than with their previous title, DOOM: Eternal. However, there's a discrepancy with Superdata's 2020 claim that DOOM: Eternal hit the 3 million player mark within just 10 days of its launch. It's worth noting that Superdata's figures were estimates, and Bethesda has not officially corroborated these numbers.

When comparing the player counts of both games, it's essential to consider the broader context. At the time of DOOM: Eternal's release, ZeniMax Media, Bethesda's parent company, had not yet been acquired by Microsoft, meaning DOOM: Eternal was not available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

DOOM: The Dark Ages Opens to 3 Million Players, id Software's Biggest Launch

In contrast, DOOM: The Dark Ages was made available on PC Game Pass from day one, impacting its performance on Steam. According to SteamDB, DOOM: The Dark Ages reached an all-time peak of 31,470 players, which is significantly less than the 104,891 peak players DOOM: Eternal achieved at launch. Analyst firm Ampere estimates that 2 million of DOOM: The Dark Ages' players come from Xbox.

Despite these numbers, fans consider DOOM: The Dark Ages to be among the best in the franchise. Here at Game8, we awarded it an impressive 88 out of 100, praising its brutal renaissance of the DOOM series. It shifts away from the aerial style of DOOM (2016) and Eternal, embracing a grittier, more grounded combat experience. For a more detailed review, feel free to explore our comprehensive article below!