Doom: Dark Ages Sets Record as id's Largest Launch

Doom: The Dark Ages has attracted 3 million players within its first week of release, though Bethesda hasn't disclosed specific sales figures yet.

Historic Launch Momentum

A Bethesda social media announcement confirmed Doom: The Dark Ages achieved the fastest player growth in id Software's history, reaching 3 million players seven times faster than Doom Eternal did in 2020.

Analyzing the data reveals interesting platform dynamics. Released May 15, 2025 across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, Steam currently provides the only publicly verifiable player statistics.

Steam Performance Versus Game Pass Impact

The Steam version peaked at 31,470 concurrent players with a 24-hour peak of 16,328. Compared to Doom Eternal's 104,891 peak concurrents five years earlier (and Doom 2016's 44,271 peak nine years prior), these numbers appear modest.

The Game Pass factor significantly influences these metrics. As a day-one Game Pass title across both Xbox and PC platforms, many players accessed the game through subscription rather than paying the $69.99 retail price.

Microsoft likely considers this successful given their Game Pass promotion goals. Interestingly, other Game Pass titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ($50 retail) still achieved 2 million sales, raising questions about The Dark Ages' premium pricing effect.

The Player Count Versus Sales Metric Trend

Bethesda's player count announcement follows their approach with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (4 million players) and mirrors Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Shadows reporting (also 3 million players).

While internal targets remain confidential, the 3 million milestone suggests strong Game Pass and console performance potentially compensating for Steam metrics.

Critical Reception

IGN's 9/10 review praised the game's evolution: "Doom: The Dark Ages reinvents the franchise with a visceral, weighty combat system that delivers fresh satisfaction while departing from Eternal's mobility focus."