The news is out – Doom: The Dark Ages is set to hit the gaming world on May 15, 2025. This marks the third installment in the rebooted Doom series by the renowned id Software. What’s intriguing about this release, which acts as a prequel to the critically acclaimed Doom (2016), is its bold move to abandon multiplayer, something that was a staple in both the first reboot and Doom Eternal from 2020.
In an engaging roundtable discussion, Marty Stratton, the studio director, and Hugo Martin, the creative director at id Software, tackled the big news: Doom: The Dark Ages will skip out on multiplayer altogether.
“We decided to go all in on the campaign,” Martin elaborated when asked about this significant shift, especially since both Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal featured multiplayer modes. “By focusing entirely on the single-player experience for Dark Ages, we could really enhance it.”
This time around, Doom won’t just see you holding your ground as the legendary Doom Slayer. Thanks to the concentrated focus on single-player, players can look forward to jaw-dropping set pieces, including a “30-story Atlan mech” and a “fire-breathing, gatling-gun toting cyber dragon." Yes, you read that right.
“We’ve been wanting to do this for ages, really since the last two games,” Stratton expressed while specifically referring to the addition of the Atlan. For those not up to speed with Doom lore – and no judgment here – Atlans are massive war machines once used by the Night Sentinels in their battles against Hell. You may have encountered their inert forms in previous Doom adventures.
We get to ride this because there’s no multiplayer, clear as day. | Image credit: id Software
Stratton and Martin’s enthusiasm was palpable at the announcement of the mech’s inclusion in Doom: The Dark Ages. They were eager to highlight how dedicating more development time to the single-player aspect of the game has allowed them to incorporate such massive features.
Moreover, they proudly unveiled that this game will offer the "largest play space ever in a Doom game," complete with extra dungeons, caves, and encounters waiting for adventurous players who choose to veer off the main path. “You control the pace of the game,” Martin grinned. “You decide where you go, who you battle, and what objectives you pursue.” Once again, id Software credited the ability to focus solely on single-player development as the reason they could infuse so much content into the narrative and world-building.
Eat your heart out, Shinji Ikari. | Image credit: id Software
Honestly, it’s refreshing to see a single-player game receive such undivided attention, especially in a market flooded with multiplayer failures and live-service games cluttering digital storefronts. Perhaps there are lessons here for giants like Sony and Blizzard.
Doom: The Dark Ages is slated for release on May 15, arriving on Xbox Game Pass for both PC and Xbox Series, and it’s also making its way to the PlayStation 5.
