Prior to the Xbox Developer Direct 2025 that just aired, Bethesda invited Wccftech and other press outlets to check out the DOOM: The Dark Ages presentation included in the broadcast. We also participated in a roundtable Q&A with Executive Producer Marty Stratton and Game Director Hugo Martin.
From the get-go, id Software sounded very confident about their new game, claiming that players would feel like a superweapon in a medieval war against Hellish forces. The prequel is set in a sci-fi/fantasy world, the most expansive they’ve created to date by far, filled with explorable locations, unlockable weapons, and conquerable foes.
Being a prequel to 2016’s DOOM, the developers believe this will be the ideal entry point in the series for newcomers. This is also because of the increased focus on accessibility thanks to the newly added sliders that will let users ramp up or down the difficulty as they see fit. Modifiers shown include damage to the player, demons, enemy aggression and projectile speed, parry window, daze duration, game speed, and resource values.
Hugo Martin said that if 2020’s DOOM Eternal felt like being in control of a fighter jet, DOOM: The Dark Ages will make you an iron tank. The objective has been to make a more grounded combat system. The Slayer is still fast, but he’s also heavy and strong with his moves, favoring power over the previous game’s acrobatics. There’s also a bit of a return to form in that the tweaks to movement speed should make strafing to aim once again viable, like in the classic game.
Of course, there are many new cool tools, chiefly the Shield Saw, which can block, throw, parry, and deflect depending on the context. Some melee weapons were also added to compound that medieval feel, so players will have an iron flail, an electrified gauntlet, and a spiked mace to bash enemies with, and they even come with their own combos and upgrades. Needless to say, there’s a ton of devastatingly powerful guns, too, since it is still DOOM after all.
Finishing off enemies promises to be even cooler this time around, thanks to a new Glory Kill system that is said to be fully in the player’s control. DOOM: The Dark Ages doesn’t stop at ground combat, either, as id is giving players two big toys to play with: a 30-story-tall Atlan mech and a mechadragon. Both are reportedly fleshed out, coming with their own abilities and mini-bosses to fight.
However great all that sounds, the developers acknowledged combat might not be enough to win over single-player fans in 2025. Thankfully, the game also features way more exploration than in previous titles, with large, diverse environments and unique rewards for those who will explore them in-depth. While not an open world, it will feature secret caves, dungeon-like mines and more, in what’s been called the largest playspace ever in DOOM and a ‘sandbox.’
Last but not least, DOOM: The Dark Ages takes the narrative out of the codex, in the developers’ own words, and into the cutscenes. The goal is to deliver a Summer Blockbuster-like cinematic action story with a combination of new characters, returning allies, and powerful villains.
We also learned the release date, which is set for May 15 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X. As with all games published by Bethesda since they were acquired by Microsoft, it will be available to Game Pass subscribers from day one. Pre-orders are open now.
Following the presentation, Martin and Stratton answered several questions. You can find the transcript below.
DOOM has always been about sci-fi. Why the switch to a medieval setting?
Hugo Martin: We wanted to do it from the beginning. When you reboot a franchise, usually what you want to do is create an interesting world and give that world a history. Then, you want to have heroes with an interesting past, and if you’re lucky enough and the fans are happy with what you did, you get to do more iterations of the IP, and you’ll be fortunate enough to explore some of that past. That’s what we’ve been able to do. This is very much a full realization of the Slayer’s past, and we thank the fans for giving us the chance to do it.
Can you dive into the difficulty sliders and why you decided to introduce them?
Marty Stratton: Sure. There were multiple reasons. The important thing is that you can go up or down to make the game easier or harder. There are a lot of options, and it also works to improve approachability. It allows long-time fans to ramp it up and create these ridiculous high-end experiences, but it also improves accessibility for others who may have motor difficulties, for example.
Will DOOM: The Dark Ages feature any multiplayer modes?
Marty Stratton: It will not. There’s only the campaign, and we decided that from the beginning. We wanted to free ourselves to create experiences like the mech and the dragon. Those are both like their own mini-games in the game. We decided to put all our effort into creating the biggest and best campaign we’ve ever made.
Hugo Martin: We didn’t do multiplayer so that we could make a better single player game. Like, we couldn’t have done the mech and the dragon and all that other stuff if we spread the resources around different game pillars, so we’ve really just focused on single player.
How is the game a reaction to DOOM Eternal?
Hugo Martin: It’s a reaction to both (previous games). We are really lucky to be able to do the third entry. Any time you get to make a game three times, there’s so many lessons that you’ve learned. I like to focus on the negatives from fans. With the 2016 game, we heard that it was too repetitive, and with Eternal, that it was too hard. I actually think it was too complex, and the complexity of the control scheme led to unnecessary difficulty. You want to be fighting the demons, not the controls. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to master. Also, we can’t just do the same thing again and again. In a trilogy, you want each game to have its own feel.
You mentioned the story being out of the codex in DOOM: The Dark Ages, but is there still a codex?
Hugo Martin: Yes, there is. It’s just not a requirement anymore to read the codex to understand what’s happening in the story.
Can you talk about the return of strafing to aim?
Hugo Martin: What you quickly realize when you play classic DOOM is that there’s a lot of movement required to be successful and dodge these slow-moving projectiles. With those, you create a three-dimensional pattern that the player has to weave through on their way to the demons. We’ve balanced the weapons to be medium to short range so that you’re encouraged to take the fight to the enemies, weave through that maze of projectiles as they’re whizzing by just like in classic DOOM, and deliver that killing blow up close with the melee, shield, or gun.
Can you explain how the new Glory Kill system works?
Hugo Martin: Yeah. It’s really fluid. That was one of the big pillars, fluidity, because we wanted you to feel like this weapon of mass destruction. With the synced system, player control was taken away, and it kind of broke the flow. It’s fantastic, and it was not an issue in DOOM 2016 or Eternal because you’re not really taking out three, four, five, or six enemies at a time. But in this game, you are, so it was really important that you could finish off an enemy, transitioning from melee/shield/gun to execution, and not feel like there is a break in the action where you’re losing precious seconds.
By leaning on the physics part of our engine, the incredible animators and programmers team made it work. It feels fantastic. Also, because you can do it from any angle, it always looks different because it uses physics, and it helps address the issue of repetition, which was a challenge with the previous Glory Kill system as you started seeing the same animations again and again.
Will there be an enemy like the Marauder to push the player to learn the gameplay loop?
Hugo Martin: Yes, several. Those are the black belts on the battlefield and we certainly have them. They will test your skill, knowledge, and your ability with the parry system. They’re enemies who throw combos of attacks, and you don’t have to just parry one melee strike, you have to parry several in a row in order to falter them.
Is this an open-world game, or does it just have open-world elements?
Marty Stratton: It’s definitely not an open world game, but it is the most expansive world we’ve ever built. You really feel like you’re on a battlefield. It goes from the typical linear DOOM to these large sandboxes where the exploration opens up, and you get multiple objectives that can be tackled in any order. Exploration is also tied to power in that you can find and unlock several upgrades for your character.
Hugo Martin: There’s a much greater focus on progression items. We’ve really streamlined the economy and the currencies. I think that’s another thing we learned from DOOM Eternal. If you have too many currencies and skill trees, you confuse the player. But speaking of the level design, we’re very proud of it. It’s some of the best work we’ve ever done.
Was Quake 1 an inspiration for the setting?
Hugo Martin: Not really. The inspiration was more something like Batman: Year One and 300. I’m a pretty big comic book fan. But yeah, there were rumors that it was called DOOM: Year Zero and that was what we called it internally. I still think it was a really cool name, although Dark Ages is pretty cool, too.
WCCFTECH: How much side content is there in DOOM: The Dark Ages, and how long do you expect a regular playthrough to be?
Hugo Martin: It’s really long. It’s the biggest game we made. Although, to be honest, you don’t want any single level to overstay its welcome. But overall, it is massive. And if you’re a completionist and want to unlock all secrets, it’ll last even longer.
Will the game get DLC?
Marty Stratton: It will, yes. As part of the Deluxe Edition, you will get access to the DLC.
What are you most excited for people to experience in DOOM: The Dark Ages?
Marty Stratton: I think how much it’s DOOM but different. We’ve literally been in it for eleven years. We release a game, we start working on the DLC, and then the next game. We never get that gap in time where you stop and think about it. There are a lot of people who may play the game and then move on to other games or consume other media. I’m excited for people to come back for this and for new people to experience it and just see how epic and expansive it is and get their hands on this gameplay loop because it’s so DOOM, but it’s different.
Hugo Martin: For me, it’s the shield. It’s a critical part of the loop, as you saw in the presentation. It does so many things. I think it’s really, really cool, and it looks awesome.
With DOOM: The Dark Ages being the third game you’ve worked on, are you considering it the conclusion of a trilogy or more its own thing?
Hugo Martin: I don’t think I can answer that. We’re not supposed to talk about it. Anyway, I like making DOOM games. I wouldn’t have a problem doing this for a long time. But this isn’t designed to be the end of something.
Thank you for your time.
