Doom: The Dark Ages Set for Record-Breaking Launch, No Sales Data Yet

Since its launch last week, Doom: The Dark Ages has attracted a staggering 3 million players, marking the biggest launch in id Software’s history by player count. Bethesda shared this impressive milestone on social media, noting that Doom: The Dark Ages reached this number seven times faster than its predecessor, Doom Eternal, did in 2020. Despite this, Bethesda has not disclosed specific sales figures for the game.

Released on May 15, 2025, Doom: The Dark Ages is available across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. While Steam offers public player data, the game's performance on this platform presents an interesting contrast. On Steam, Doom: The Dark Ages achieved a peak concurrent player count of 31,470, with a 24-hour peak of 16,328 players. This is notably lower than Doom Eternal's peak of 104,891 players and even the 2016 Doom's peak of 44,271. These figures suggest a relative struggle on Valve’s platform for The Dark Ages.

However, the availability of Doom: The Dark Ages on Game Pass from day one for both Xbox consoles and PC likely influenced these numbers significantly. Many players may have opted to experience the game through Game Pass rather than purchasing it outright at the full price of $69.99 in the U.S. This strategy aligns with Microsoft's goal of boosting Game Pass subscriptions, both for PC and Xbox consoles.

Interestingly, other games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which launched on Game Pass and sold 2 million copies despite its $50 price tag, show that high sales and Game Pass launches can coexist. Yet, the higher price point of Doom: The Dark Ages might have deterred some potential buyers.

Bethesda's decision to announce player counts rather than sales figures is not unique to Doom: The Dark Ages. Similar approaches were taken with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which reported 4 million players, and Ubisoft's Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, which also announced 3 million players. Only Bethesda and Microsoft can truly gauge if Doom: The Dark Ages met its internal targets, but the 3 million player count indicates strong performance, particularly on consoles and via Game Pass.

IGN's review of Doom: The Dark Ages awarded it a 9/10, praising its shift from the mobility-focused gameplay of Doom Eternal to a more weighty and powerful playstyle. The review stated, "Doom: The Dark Ages may strip away the mobility focus of Doom Eternal, but replaces it with a very weighty and powerful style of play that is different from anything the series has done before, and still immensely satisfying in its own way."