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

Doom: The Dark Ages has quickly amassed a player base of 3 million since its release last week, making it the most successful launch in id Software's history in terms of player count. According to a social media post by Bethesda, the game reached this milestone seven times faster than Doom Eternal did in 2020. The game launched on May 15, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S platforms.

When examining the player numbers, Steam provides the most transparent data. Doom: The Dark Ages reached a peak concurrent player count of 31,470, with a 24-hour peak of 16,328 players. This is significantly lower than Doom Eternal's peak of 104,891 players and even the 2016 Doom's peak of 44,271 players. However, these figures must be considered in the context of the Game Pass effect, as Doom: The Dark Ages was available on Xbox Game Pass for both consoles and PC from day one. This likely attracted a substantial number of players who opted for the subscription service over purchasing the game outright at its $69.99 price tag in the U.S.

From Microsoft's perspective, boosting Game Pass subscriptions could be seen as a successful strategy, even if direct sales figures are not as high. Other games, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, have demonstrated that strong sales and Game Pass launches can coexist, with Clair Obscur selling 2 million copies despite being available on Game Pass. However, the higher price point of Doom: The Dark Ages might have deterred some potential buyers.

Notably, Bethesda has only announced player counts for Doom: The Dark Ages, not sales figures, mirroring their approach with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which also saw 4 million players upon its Game Pass launch. Similarly, Ubisoft announced 3 million players for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows without disclosing sales numbers. Only Bethesda and Microsoft have insight into whether Doom: The Dark Ages met its internal targets, but the high player count suggests strong performance on consoles and through Game Pass, despite a potentially weaker showing 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 style of play that remains highly satisfying and unique within the franchise.