On June 10, 2026, id Software officially published the first sales figures for DOOM: The Dark Ages via the Bethesda blog. The medieval-themed first-person shooter, which launched on May 14, surpassed 8 million units sold worldwide within its first two weeks. Approximately 45% of those sales came from PC, with the remainder split across Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. The game peaked at 372,000 concurrent players on Steam, making it the third-highest concurrent player count for a new release on the platform in 2026, behind only Subnautica 2 (467,000) and Forza Horizon 6 (273,000). That figure also sets a new launch benchmark for the DOOM franchise itself — the previous entry, DOOM Eternal, sold roughly 5 million units in its first month when it launched in 2020. While the two titles have very different settings, The Dark Ages has clearly outpaced its predecessor in comparable launch windows.
Alongside the sales data, id Software laid out the game’s post-launch content plans. The studio confirmed that the first free update, titled Classic Mode, will arrive in July 2026. This mode blends the medieval backdrop of The Dark Ages with the feel of the original 1993 classic. In Classic Mode, the Slayer’s movement speed is doubled relative to the standard campaign, weapon switching is instantaneous, and the reload mechanic is removed entirely — all firearms feature infinite ammunition, with damage values rebalanced to match. The HUD is also replaced with a pixel-art interface styled after the original game, complete with the classic bloody health meter and ammo counter. Game Director Hugo Martin described Classic Mode in the official announcement as “a formal tribute to the roots of the franchise,” stating that the design goal is to let players relive the sensation of “flying down corridors at 60 frames per second” on a medieval battlefield.
Furthermore, id Software teased the first paid campaign DLC, titled Cursed Crusade, planned for Q4 2026. The DLC will introduce an entirely new explorable area, the Cursed City — a floating fortress warped by dark magic — along with a new enemy type called the Inquisitor, an adversary capable of mimicking the Slayer’s movement patterns and learning from the player’s habits during combat. No specific release date or price was provided for the DLC.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is set during an earlier point in the series timeline and tells the origin story of the Slayer, before he became the legend. Players wield shotguns, heavy cannons, and the signature Shield Saw against the forces of Hell in a medieval-style world. The game retains the franchise’s trademark high-speed combat, Glory Kills, and heavy metal soundtrack, while introducing the Shield Saw as a new mechanic within the action system — the shield can be used to block incoming projectiles, deflect ranged attacks, and slice enemies in half with its built-in chainsaw function. This addition makes the combat rhythm of The Dark Ages more layered than its predecessor, demanding that players continuously alternate between guarding and attacking rather than simply moving and shooting at all times.
On Metacritic, The Dark Ages holds an average score of 91 from 82 critics. IGN awarded it a 9.5, calling it “a title that combines the series’ signature savage combat with surprisingly deep narrative ambition.” Steam user reviews currently sit at Overwhelmingly Positive, with 95% of over 150,000 reviews being favourable.
