Doom: The Dark Ages Marks id's Biggest Launch, Sales Data Pending

Doom: The Dark Ages has quickly amassed an impressive 3 million players since its launch last week, marking it as the biggest launch in id Software's history by player count. Bethesda has highlighted that this milestone was reached seven times faster than Doom Eternal in 2020. Released on May 15, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, the game's success is notable, especially when considering the distribution across various platforms.

On Steam, where player numbers are publicly available, Doom: The Dark Ages achieved a peak concurrent player count of 31,470, with a 24-hour peak of 16,328. This is significantly lower than Doom Eternal's peak of 104,891 and even the 2016 Doom's peak of 44,271. However, the impact of Game Pass cannot be overlooked. As a day-one release on Game Pass for both Xbox consoles and PC, many players likely accessed the game through subscriptions rather than purchasing it outright at the $69.99 price point in the U.S.

From Microsoft's perspective, this could be seen as a positive, as it drives Game Pass subscriptions. Yet, other games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have demonstrated that it's possible to achieve strong sales figures even with a simultaneous Game Pass launch. Priced at $50, Clair Obscur sold 2 million copies, showing that price might be a factor in consumer decisions for Doom: The Dark Ages.

Interestingly, Bethesda has chosen to announce player counts rather than sales figures for Doom: The Dark Ages, a strategy also used for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Ubisoft's Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. This approach suggests a focus on engagement and player base rather than direct sales. Only Bethesda and Microsoft have the full picture of whether the game has met its internal targets, but the 3 million player count indicates strong performance on consoles and through Game Pass, despite a seemingly weaker showing on Steam.

IGN's review of Doom: The Dark Ages awarded it a 9/10, praising the game for its shift from the mobility-focused gameplay of Doom Eternal to a more weighty and powerful style that still delivers a satisfying experience.