Doom: The Dark Ages – Everything we know so far

GamesFPSDoom: The Dark AgesDoom: The Dark Ages – Everything we know so farWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesFPSDoom: The Dark AgesDoom: The Dark Ages – Everything we know so farWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) Doom: The Dark Ages is heading our way in 2025! So, you know what that means? It’s time to rip and tear once again as the Doom Slayer returns - this time as the agent of Gods and Kings to blast his way through the forces of hell in style. The prequel to some of thebest FPS gamesof all time (the Doom reboot and Doom Eternal), Doom: The Dark Ages, was officially announced during the 2024 Xbox showcase and will throw us into a medieval fantasy-like setting. Taking a step back in time, we’ll be defending kingdoms - blasting hordes of demon armies with our handy shotgun. Although there hasn’t been a lot of new information about the upcoming game to unpack, With a brand new setting, new enemies, and an array of new weapons, there are still plenty of details to keep track of. So, to make your crusade against hell a bit easier, we’ve gathered all the intel that you need before the carnage begins. From the Doom: The Dark Ages release date, gameplay, trailer, and more - here’s everything you need to know about one of the most anticipatednew gamesheading our way. Doom: The Dark Ages release window (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) Get ready to blast some demons because the Doom: The Dark Ages release window has been announced as2025. This 2025 date was revealed during the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase and came with a shiny new trailer as well. While we don’t know the exact Doom: The Dark Ages release date just yet, we suspect that it will arrive in the latter half of the year. This is due to the fact that we still haven’t heard any news on the game, so an early 2025 release date is pretty much dead in the demon-filled water at this point. Still, that does mean that we have plenty of time to replay all the Doom games (read ourDoom Eternal reviewif you need a refresher) in the meantime! Doom: The Dark Ages platforms (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) The good news is that Doom: The Dark Ages will be available to play across several platforms. So it doesn’t matter if you are a PC or console player; you’ll get a chance to murder some Cacodemons regardless. It will even be available on Game Pass. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Once it releases in 2025, Doom: The Dark Ages will be available to play onPC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5. Given the rise in console exclusives, hearing that Doom: The Dark Ages won’t be locked down to one platform is welcomed news. Luckily, the game’s team understood our universal love for one of thebest action gamesin history.MicrosoftGaming CEO Phil Spencer toldIGNthat 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. Doom: The Dark Ages trailer DOOM: The Dark Ages | Official Trailer 1 (4K) | Coming 2025 - YouTubeWatch On DOOM: The Dark Ages | Official Trailer 1 (4K) | Coming 2025 - YouTube DOOM: The Dark Ages | Official Trailer 1 (4K) | Coming 2025 - YouTube 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. Both the world and the enemies look massive, like seriously, there are demon dragons in this 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 thebest shootersof all time. Doom: The Dark Ages gameplay (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) 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 theDoom: The Dark Ages weaponsseem 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. Can you pre-order Doom: The Dark Ages? (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) Currently, you can’t pre-order Doom: The Dark Ages. But we are expecting to hear news on when pre-orders will be open soon. Since the game is coming out sometime in 2025, we are guessing that pre-orders will open up in a few months' time across all platforms (once a release date is announced). Keep your eyes on this page as more news heads our way! We will keep you updated as soon as we hear more details. In the meantime, you can check out our list of all theupcoming horror gamescoming out this year to get your demon fix, or if you fancy cracking on with your console, check out all thebest games on Game Passto play right now. 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This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chance Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics” Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s past Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé 17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding” Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future GAME REVIEWSMOVIE 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wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”