DOOM: The Dark Ages Wiki

DOOM: The Dark Ages

DOOM: The Dark Ages is a 2025 first-person shooter developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. A prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, it is set during the demonic Dark Ages when the Slayer waged his earliest war against Hell, before he was feared and imprisoned by both demons and mortals. The game retools combat around a slower, momentum-driven pace anchored by the shield saw, an arm-mounted weapon that blocks and parries projectiles and doubles as a shredding melee tool. It spans three overlapping forms of play: on-foot Slayer combat, piloting the colossal Atlan warsuit against titan-class demons, and soaring into floating citadels on a cyber-dragon mount. Built on id Tech 8 with heavily ray-traced rendering, it was released on May 15, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and received a major campaign expansion, Revelations, on July 7, 2026.

• Shield Saw Combat: The Slayer's signature arm-mounted shield blocks incoming projectiles, performs perfect parries that reflect enemy fire back at attackers, and slashes through demons as a charged melee weapon, anchoring the deliberate, momentum-driven combat.
• Three Spectacle Pillars: On-foot Slayer combat, piloting the colossal Atlan warsuit against titan-class demons, and soaring into airborne citadels on a cyber-dragon mount define the three overlapping game modes.
• Grounded Medieval Arsenal: A focused firearms suite (Shotgun, Super Shotgun, Heavy Cannon, Rail Spike) paired with the shield saw favors positioning, shield timing, and resource management over constant mid-air movement.
• Momentum-Based Pace: Combat is heavier and more methodical than DOOM Eternal, rewarding measured movement, readied parries, and brutal glory-kill finishers rather than fast acrobatic chains.
• Prequel Narrative: Set during the demonic Dark Ages, the story depicts the Slayer's origins and his war against Hell before the events of DOOM (2016), and his imprisonment as mortals and demons alike come to fear him.
• Revelations Expansion: The 2026 campaign expansion, Revelations, strands the wounded, betrayed Slayer in a frozen purgatory he must conquer to escape, adding the chain spear weapon and new demonic foes.