On Wednesday, Bethesda announced that Doom: The Dark Ages has achieved the title of “biggest launch” in the history of developer ID Software. The publisher reported that the first-person shooter has attracted over three million players within just a week of its release on May 15, across multiple platforms including PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. However, no initial sales figures were provided.
Doom: The Dark Ages Reaches Three Million Players
In a statement via social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Bethesda emphasized the monumental achievement, noting that the game reached three million players at a pace seven times faster than its predecessor, Doom Eternal.
“Thank you for making DOOM: The Dark Ages the biggest launch in id’s history,” they remarked in their post.
Thank you for making DOOM: The Dark Ages the biggest launch in id’s history – 7x faster to 3 million players than DOOM Eternal. pic.twitter.com/c0SKR97FO8
— Bethesda (@bethesda) May 20, 2025
This milestone reflects the total number of players across all platforms, which likely includes Xbox Game Pass subscribers who gained free access to the game upon its launch. Doom: The Dark Ages became available on Game Pass on its release day alongside its deployment on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.
According to SteamDB charts, the game recorded a peak concurrent player count exceeding 31,000. Although this figure is substantially lower than the peak of 104,891 for Doom Eternal on Steam, it’s important to note that a significant portion of the current player base may consist of subscribers from PC Game Pass.
Doom: The Dark Ages was officially launched on May 15, with early access made available to those who pre-ordered the Premium Edition starting on May 13. This installment acts as a prequel to Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal, returning players to the role of the legendary Doom Slayer amidst a medieval conflict against demonic forces.
The latest installment introduces numerous gameplay enhancements, featuring a more grounded approach to combat. Players can now utilize new melee weapons and a Shield Saw, which serves to parry incoming attacks and swiftly bridge the gap between the player and enemies for effective melee strikes.
