Doom: The Dark Ages Marks id's Largest Launch, Sales Data Pending

Since its release last week, *Doom: The Dark Ages* has attracted an impressive 3 million players, marking it as the most successful launch in id Software's history by player count. Bethesda has proudly shared that this milestone was reached seven times faster than that of *Doom Eternal* in 2020. Released on May 15, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, the game's performance across different platforms offers intriguing insights.

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 figure pales in comparison to *Doom Eternal's* peak of 104,891 players, suggesting a relatively weaker performance on Valve’s platform. For additional context, *Doom* (2016) set a peak concurrent player count of 44,271 on Steam.

However, the impact of Game Pass on these numbers cannot be overlooked. *Doom: The Dark Ages* was available on Game Pass from day one for both Xbox consoles and PC, likely drawing a significant portion of its player base from the subscription service rather than direct purchases. This strategy aligns with Microsoft's goal of boosting PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions. Yet, it's worth noting that other games, such as *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*, have managed to sell well despite their Game Pass availability. Priced at $69.99 in the U.S., *Doom: The Dark Ages* might have deterred some potential buyers due to its cost.

Interestingly, Bethesda has only announced player numbers for *Doom: The Dark Ages*, not sales figures, a tactic also seen with *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered* and Ubisoft's *Assassin’s Creed: Shadows*. While only Bethesda and Microsoft can confirm if the game met its internal targets, the 3 million player count indicates strong performance on consoles and Game Pass, albeit with less traction on Steam.

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 noted, "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."