DOOM: The Dark Ages Shatters Records with 3 Million Players

id Software's latest release, DOOM: The Dark Ages, has stormed into the gaming world, achieving the biggest launch in the company's history. Launched just last week, the game has garnered widespread acclaim and quickly amassed over 3 million players, as announced by Bethesda on their X (formerly Twitter) account on May 21.

Record-Breaking Launch

The milestone of 3 million players was reached seven times faster than their previous title, DOOM: Eternal. However, it's worth noting that this achievement is somewhat different from the reported data for DOOM: Eternal. In 2020, Superdata estimated that DOOM: Eternal reached the same number within 10 days of its release, though these were estimates and never officially confirmed by Bethesda.

The context of these launches also varies significantly. At the time of DOOM: Eternal's release, Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Media, had not yet been acquired by Microsoft. Consequently, DOOM: Eternal was not available on Xbox Game Pass at launch. In contrast, DOOM: The Dark Ages was available on PC Game Pass from day one, which influenced its performance on Steam. While DOOM: The Dark Ages hit an all-time peak of 31,470 concurrent players on Steam, DOOM: Eternal had a much higher peak of 104,891 players. Analyst firm Ampere estimates that 2 million of DOOM: The Dark Ages' players came from Xbox platforms.

Fan and Critical Reception

Despite the differences in numbers, fans and critics alike have hailed DOOM: The Dark Ages as one of the best entries in the iconic franchise. Here at Game8, we've rated the game an impressive 88 out of 100, praising its brutal return to form. The game trades the aerial dynamics of DOOM (2016) and Eternal for a more grounded, intense combat experience. For a deeper dive into our thoughts, be sure to check out our detailed review below.

Stay tuned for upcoming exclusive updates for PC, which promise to enhance your DOOM: The Dark Ages experience even further.