Since its launch last week, Doom: The Dark Ages has attracted an impressive 3 million players, marking it as the biggest launch in id Software's history by player count. Bethesda, the game's publisher, has highlighted that Doom: The Dark Ages reached this milestone seven times faster than its predecessor, Doom Eternal, which was released in 2020. This significant achievement underscores the game's widespread appeal and immediate success among gamers.
Released on May 15, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, Doom: The Dark Ages has shown varying performance across platforms. On Steam, where player numbers are publicly available, the game achieved a peak concurrent player count of 31,470 and a 24-hour peak of 16,328. This is notably lower than Doom Eternal's peak of 104,891 and even the 2016 Doom's peak of 44,271. These figures suggest that, on Steam alone, Doom: The Dark Ages may have underperformed compared to its predecessors.
However, it's crucial to consider the impact of Game Pass on these numbers. Doom: The Dark Ages was available on day one via Game Pass for both Xbox consoles and PC. This accessibility likely influenced many players to try the game through a subscription rather than purchasing it outright at the full price of $69.99 in the U.S. Microsoft's strategy of promoting Game Pass subscriptions could explain the high player count despite lower sales on platforms like Steam.
Interestingly, other games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have demonstrated that launching on Game Pass does not necessarily hinder sales. Clair Obscur, priced at $50, sold 2 million copies despite being available on Game Pass from day one. This raises questions about whether the higher price of Doom: The Dark Ages might have deterred some potential buyers.
Bethesda has chosen to highlight player numbers rather than sales figures for Doom: The Dark Ages, a strategy it also employed with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which saw 4 million players. Similarly, Ubisoft announced 3 million players for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows without disclosing sales data. This approach leaves the true commercial performance of these games somewhat opaque, known only to the companies themselves.
While specific sales targets remain undisclosed, the 3 million player count for Doom: The Dark Ages indicates strong performance, particularly on consoles and through Game Pass. Meanwhile, its performance on Steam suggests a different story. IGN's review of Doom: The Dark Ages praised its new, powerful, and satisfying gameplay style, awarding it a 9/10.
