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''Doom'' is a 2016 first-person shooter game developed by
id Software id Software LLC () is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: game programmer, programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer T ...
and published by
Bethesda Softworks Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a Division (business), division of Media Technology Limited. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of Z ...
. The game is the first major installment in the ''Doom'' series since 2004's ''
Doom 3 ''Doom 3'' is a 2004 first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Activision. ''Doom 3'' was originally released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004, adapted for Linux later that year, and Vide ...
'' and is a
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
of the franchise. It was released for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
, and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
in May 2016. A
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
for
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
was co-developed with
Panic Button A panic alarm is an electronic device that can easily be activated to request help during an emergency where danger to persons or property exists. It is designed to contact assistance quicker, easier, and simpler (in some cases, less conspicuo ...
and released in November 2017, and a version for Stadia was released in August 2020. Players take the role of a space marine, known colloquially as the
Doom Slayer Doomguy or Doom Slayer is the protagonist of the ''Doom (franchise), Doom'' franchise by id Software. He was created by American video game designer John Romero and was introduced as the player character in the original 1993 video game ''Doom (19 ...
, as he battles demonic forces within an energy-mining facility on
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
and in
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
. ''Doom'' was announced as ''Doom 4'' in 2008, and that version underwent an extensive development cycle with different builds and designs before the game was restarted in 2011 and re-revealed as simply ''Doom'' in 2014. It was tested by customers who pre-ordered the 2014
MachineGames MachineGames Sweden AB is a Swedish video game developer based in Uppsala. The studio was founded in 2009 by seven former employees of Starbreeze Studios, including founder Magnus Högdahl. After unsuccessfully pitching game ideas to several ...
game '' Wolfenstein: The New Order'' and the general public. Mick Gordon composed the music, with contributions by
Richard Devine Richard Devine is an Atlanta-based electronic musician and sound designer. He is recognized for producing a layered and heavily processed sound, combining influences from glitch music to old and modern electronic music. Devine largely records f ...
. The game also has an online multiplayer component and a level editor known as "SnapMap", co-developed with
Certain Affinity Certain Affinity is an American video game development studio based in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2006 by Max Hoberman and a small number of other ex-Bungie employees and other industry veterans. On October 18, 2024, Certain Affinity was ...
and
Escalation Studios Bethesda Game Studios is an American video game developer and a studio of ZeniMax Media based in Rockville, Maryland. It is best known for its action role-playing franchises, including ''The Elder Scrolls'', ''Fallout'', and '' Starfield''. Bet ...
respectively. ''Doom'' was well received by critics and players. The single-player campaign, graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay received considerable praise, whereas the multiplayer mode drew significant criticism. It was the second best-selling video game in North America and the United Kingdom in the week of its release and sold over 500,000 copies for PCs by the end of May 2016. A sequel, ''
Doom Eternal ''Doom Eternal'' is a 2020 first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The sequel to '' Doom'' (2016), and the seventh game in the ''Doom'' series, it was released for PlayStation 4, Stadia, Wind ...
'', was released in March 2020. A prequel, '' Doom: The Dark Ages'', was released in May 2025.


Gameplay

''Doom'' is a
first-person shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
. Gameplay consists of fast movement and frenetic combat against aggressive and mobile opponents, as well as exploration of the game's environments via double-jumps and ledge climbing. To progress through the game, the player wields an arsenal of weapons influenced by those of the first ''Doom'' game and its sequel, ''
Doom II ''Doom II'', also known as ''Doom II: Hell on Earth'', is a 1994 first-person shooter game developed and published by id Software for MS-DOS. It was also released on Mac OS the following year. Unlike the original '' Doom'', which was initi ...
'', such as a chainsaw and BFG 9000, against undead and demonic opponents also influenced by the original ''Doom'' games. Weapons do not need to be reloaded and can be augmented with various mods obtained during the campaign. To replenish their resources, the player must pick up items or kill enemies. Players may recover
health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...
by using the "Glory Kill" mechanic, in which sufficiently damaged enemies enter a stunned state and may be killed by the player in a short
melee A melee ( or ) is a confused hand-to-hand combat, hand-to-hand fight among several people. The English term ''melee'' originated circa 1648 from the French word ' (), derived from the Old French ''mesler'', from which '':wikt:medley, medley'' and ...
animation.
Ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...
can be replenished by using the chainsaw on an enemy, which instantly kills them if there is enough
fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work (physics), work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chem ...
in the chainsaw. The single-player campaign has 13 levels, which typically have multiple pathways and open areas for players to explore and find collectibles, secrets, and upgrades to their equipment. Other pickups include Doomguy figurines and data files that expand on the setting and story. Throughout the campaign are
Easter egg Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian holiday of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are commonly used during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The ...
references to ''
Commander Keen ''Commander Keen'' is a series of side-scrolling platform video games developed primarily by id Software. The series consists of six main episodes, a "lost" episode, and a final game; all but the final game were released for MS-DOS in 1990 and ...
'', '' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'', ''
Fallout 4 ''Fallout 4'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the ''Fallout'' series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for Microsoft Windo ...
'', ''
Terminator 2 ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' is a 1991 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the script with William Wisher. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Robert Patrick, it is the sequel to ''Th ...
'', and the preceding ''Doom'' games. Each level contains a hidden lever which opens an area extracted from a classic level in the original games. An arcade mode in which all upgrades in the single-player campaign are unlocked from the beginning of the game was added on October 20, 2016.


Multiplayer

''Doom'' supports an online multiplayer mode. Gamemodes include a basic
Team Deathmatch Deathmatch, also known as free-for-all, is a gameplay mode integrated into many shooter games, including first-person shooter (FPS), and real-time strategy (RTS) video games, where the goal is to kill (or "frag") the other players' characters as ...
and variations thereof called Freeze Tag, in which defeated players are frozen in ice and may be revived by teammates, and Soul Harvest, in which players must pick up "souls" dropped by slain opponents; Warpath, a variation of
King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...
in which the hill moves around the map; Clan Arena, a team-based last man standing mode; and Domination, in which teams must capture and hold three locations. Players use a loadout consisting of two weapons chosen from an arsenal of weapons that may include weapons unique to the multiplayer mode. During matches, players may obtain "hack modules", one-use
power-ups In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chose ...
that convey information to the player, such as the time until other power-ups respawn. They may also obtain "runes" that temporarily transform them into demons. Playable demons include the Revenant, Baron of Hell, and Mancubus, also featured in the single-player campaign, and the Prowler and Harvester, which are not.


SnapMap

''Doom'' includes a level creation tool called SnapMap which allows players to create and edit maps. Using in-game assets, players can create single-player levels and co-operative or competitive multiplayer maps. Players can place enemies into their maps, with the exception of the campaign's bosses, and modify their
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
and stats. Alternatively, SnapMap can automatically generate enemies for player-made maps with the AI conductor feature. Players can share their completed maps with other players, who can rate and make derivatives of their map.


Synopsis

''Doom'' takes place on Mars in 2149, where the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) operates a facility to exploit an energy seeping from
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
, an alternate dimension populated by hostile lifeforms known as demons. To solve an energy crisis on
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
, the UAC constructed the Argent Tower to extract and refine raw Hell energy into Argent energy, which deteriorates the physical and mental health of the facility's staff, and allowed transit to and from Hell. After discovering that Argent energy had properties that defied their understanding of physics, the UAC began occult research into Argent energy and Hell, and the demons, who its staff began to worship and cybernetically modify. The facility is run by Samuel Hayden, a UAC scientist who transferred his consciousness to an android body after being afflicted with terminal brain cancer during the construction of the Argent Tower. In addition to directing the energy extraction and refining process, Hayden organizes expeditions into Hell to retrieve captive demons and artifacts for study. Among them is a
sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...
containing the player character, a being they call the
Doom Slayer Doomguy or Doom Slayer is the protagonist of the ''Doom (franchise), Doom'' franchise by id Software. He was created by American video game designer John Romero and was introduced as the player character in the original 1993 video game ''Doom (19 ...
and fear immensely, along with his armor, the Praetor Suit. Assisting Hayden is VEGA, a self-aware artificial intelligence that controls and monitors the facility. Leading the UAC's research into biomechanics is Olivia Pierce, a protege of Hayden's who developed crippling
scoliosis Scoliosis (: scolioses) is a condition in which a person's Vertebral column, spine has an irregular curve in the coronal plane. The curve is usually S- or C-shaped over three dimensions. In some, the degree of curve is stable, while in others ...
while working on Mars and makes a pact with the demons to open a portal between Mars and Hell and allow the demons to conquer humanity.


Plot

At an undetermined time, Pierce opens the portal for the demons, who overrun the facility and kill almost all of its staff. To repel them, Hayden awakens the Slayer, who recovers his armor and initially ignores Hayden's entreaties. Denied information unless he agrees to help Hayden, the Slayer acquiesces and begins to be guided by VEGA. After clearing out the facility core and preventing a meltdown in its foundry, the Slayer pursues Pierce up the tower, along the way destroying infrastructure critical to the refinement of Argent energy despite Hayden's protests. At the top of the tower, Pierce opens an explosive rift into Hell using a device called an Argent accumulator, destroying the Tower and sending the Slayer back to Hell. In Hell, the Slayer fights his way to the tomb in which he was imprisoned and a teleporter back to Mars. The Slayer makes his way to Hayden's office, where Hayden installs a teleporting device in the Praetor Suit for more reliable teleportation. Hayden also tells the Slayer of the Helix Stone, an artifact used to study and harness Argent energy being housed in Pierce's office in the Lazarus Labs. Entering the Lazarus Labs, the Slayer observes the Helix Stone and learns of the Well, where the portal is powered, and of the Crucible, a magical blade. To reach the Well, he makes another excursion into Hell with the Argent accumulator within the Cyberdemon, a massive and cybernetically modified demon. After killing the Cyberdemon, the Slayer fights through a labyrinthine gauntlet and two more powerful demons to recover the Crucible. Hayden teleports the Slayer to a facility in the frozen north of Mars that houses VEGA's core, which he plans to use to trigger an explosion powerful enough to send the Slayer to the Well. The Slayer triggers a meltdown of the core, but makes a backup copy of VEGA before the explosion. Entering the Well, the Slayer uses the Crucible to destroy the portal's power source and confronts Pierce, who is betrayed and transformed by the demons into the Spider Mastermind. Upon killing the Spider Mastermind, the Slayer is teleported back to Mars by Hayden, who tells the Slayer he has won and stopped the invasion. Hayden confiscates the Crucible to continue his research into Argent energy. To keep the Slayer from interfering with his plans, Hayden teleports him to an undisclosed location.


Development


As ''Doom 4''

After releasing ''Doom 3'' in 2004,
id Software id Software LLC () is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: game programmer, programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer T ...
began working on a new
intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...
, ''
Rage Rage may refer to: * Rage (emotion), an intense form of anger Games * Rage (collectible card game), a collectible card game * Rage (trick-taking card game), a commercial variant of the card game Oh Hell * ''Rage'' (video game), a 2011 first- ...
'', and unsuccessfully sought to license the ''
Doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (1934–2020), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitche ...
'' franchise to another developer as it had with ''
Wolfenstein ''Wolfenstein'' is a series of alternate history World War II video games originally developed by Muse Software. The majority of the games follow William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an American Army captain, and his fight against the Axis powers. Earlie ...
''. In 2007, however, id began development of ''Doom 4''. The studio, which had 19 employees at the time of ''Doom 3''s release, struggled to simultaneously develop ''Rage'' and ''Doom 4''. Development of ''Doom'' was first revealed via job listings on id's website on May 7, 2008, for a project titled ''Doom 4''. On June 23, 2009,
ZeniMax Media ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American video game holding company based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded in 1999 by Christopher Weaver and Robert A. Altman as the parent company for Weaver's video game publisher Bethesda Softworks. ...
, parent company of
Bethesda Softworks Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a Division (business), division of Media Technology Limited. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of Z ...
, acquired id and announced that Bethesda would publish its future games. According to id creative director
Tim Willits Tim Willits is the former studio director, co-owner, and level designer of id Software. As of August 2019, Willits is the chief creative officer at Saber Interactive. He became a Director of 3D Realms with Saber Interactive’s acquisition of ...
, the partnership allowed the company to have two teams, each having a project in parallel development. Asked in April 2009 about whether ''Doom 4'' would be a sequel to ''Doom 3'' or a
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
, id CEO Todd Hollenshead stated that it was neither. ''Doom 4'' was intended to feature a story written by British science fiction writer
Graham Joyce Graham William Joyce (22 October 1954 – 9 September 2014) was a British writer of speculative fiction and the recipient of numerous awards, including the O. Henry Award, the World Fantasy Award, and six times the British Fantasy Award ...
. The game was going to be set on Earth and was described as a "new take" on ''Doom II'' (subtitled ''Hell on Earth''). In a 2016 video documentary by
Noclip Noclip is a crowdfunded media company dedicated to creating video game documentaries and archiving video game media. It was founded by Danny O'Dwyer, an Irish video game journalist and documentary producer, in 2016, and is solely funded via Patre ...
about the game's development, ''Doom'' creative director Hugo Martin described ''Doom 4'' as being "about the global impact of a Hellish invasion" and compared it to the 1997 film ''
Contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * C ...
''. The game was influenced by the ''
Call of Duty ''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter military video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Several spin-of ...
'' series of first-person shooters, featuring passive health regeneration, an emphasis on using cover to protect the player character, and
scripted ''Scripted'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Icon for Hire. It was released on Tooth & Nail Records on August 23, 2011, and went on to break the label's new artist record for albums sold during the first week of release. Backgr ...
cinematics; developers and fans derided the project as "Call of Doom". In 2011, ''Rage'' was released to mixed reception. id and Bethesda, feeling that ''Doom 4'' was out of touch with the original games, decided to restart development. On April 3, 2013, ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...
'' published an
exposé Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website * ''Exeposé'', a student-run newspaper of the University of Exeter Film and TV F ...
that described ''Doom 4'' as being trapped in "
development hell Development hell, also known as development purgatory or development limbo, is media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in a stage of early development for a long time because of legal, technical, or artistic ...
" and allegedly mismanaged. Bethesda's vice president of marketing, Pete Hines, acknowledged difficulty in the development of ''Doom 4'' that same day. In an August 2013 interview with ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'', Willits said that the pre-2011 ''Doom 4'' "had a bit of
schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
, a little bit of an identity crisis." Marty Stratton, ''Doom''s director, described the period between 2011 and 2013 as a "rolling reboot". This period contained numerous departures from id such as Hollenshead and company co-founder
John Carmack John D. Carmack II (born August 21, 1970) is an American computer programmer and video game developer. He co-founded the video game company id Software and was the lead programmer of its 1990s games ''Commander Keen'', ''Wolfenstein 3D'', ''Do ...
. In an interview by Nathan Grayson of ''
Rock, Paper, Shotgun ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' is a British video game journalism website. It was launched in July 2007 to focus on PC games and was acquired by Gamer Network, a network of sites led by ''Eurogamer'', in May 2017. History ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' ...
'' on August 6, 2013, Willits stated that there was no publicly available timeline for updates on ''Doom 4''.


As ''Doom''

On June 10, 2014, Bethesda presented a
teaser trailer A teaser trailer, also shortened to teaser, is a short trailer (promotion), trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release film or television show advertisement. Sh ...
at
E3 2014 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 (E3 2014) was the 20th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 10, 2014, and ended on June 12, 2014, with 48,900 total attendees. Ma ...
, followed by another at id's yearly convention,
QuakeCon QuakeCon is a yearly convention held by ZeniMax Media to celebrate and promote the major franchises of id Software and other studios owned by ZeniMax. It includes a large, paid, bring-your-own-computer ( BYOC) LAN party event with a competiti ...
, on July 17, 2014, that revealed ''Doom 4'' had been renamed to ''Doom'' and would be a series reboot. id selected Stratton to be game director and hired Hugo Martin as creative director in August 2013. Tiago Sousa, head R&D graphics engineer at
Crytek Crytek GmbH is a German video game developer and software developer based in Frankfurt. Founded by the Yerli brothers in Coburg in 1999 and moved to Frankfurt in 2006, Crytek operates additional studios in Kyiv, Ukraine and Istanbul, Turkey. It ...
, led development of the
id Tech 6 id Tech 6 is a multiplatform game engine developed by id Software. It is the successor to id Tech 5 and was first used to create the 2016 video game ''Doom''. Internally, the development team also used the codename ''id Tech 666'' to refer to t ...
engine for ''Doom''. Stratton, Martin, and id used the original ''Doom'' games as their template for ''Doom''s artwork and gameplay, and abandoned the slower pace and
survival horror Survival horror is a Video game genre, subgenre of horror games. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical action games through limited ammunition or weapons, health, speed, and visio ...
themes of ''Doom 3''. Stratton highlighted id's desire to " efaithful to the legacy of
he original He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
''Doom''" and the replication of its tone. Willits explained that ''Doom'' was "built on the emotional core of the original game". Development of ''Doom'' focused primarily on refining its combat, dubbed "push forward combat". The Glory Kill mechanic, which began as a "sync melee" system to be used in ''Doom 4'', was developed early and became crucial to the design of ''Doom''s combat. To incentivize player aggression, id rewarded use of the Glory Kill mechanic and chainsaw by replenishing resources and built the game's levels to encourage movement during combat. Enemies were also designed to visually resemble those of the original ''Doom'' games and encourage the player to be mobile. Id placed less emphasis on ''Doom''s story, which was written by Adam Gascoine. Speaking to Noclip, Martin said that the story was one of the last elements of the game to be implemented, and that he and Gascoine aimed for a lighter, self-aware narrative; the game begins with a quotation of the 1996 ''Doom'' comic book. In his direction for ''Doom''s story, Martin was inspired by action movies such as ''
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...
'' (1987), ''
Evil Dead 2 ''Evil Dead II'' (also known in publicity materials as ''Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn'') is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi, who co-wrote it with Scott Spiegel. The second installment in the ''Evil Dead'' film series, it ...
'' (1987), and '' The Last Boyscout'' (1991), and paintings by American artist
Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American artist known for themes of Fantasy art, fantasy and science fiction, noted for comic books, mass market paperback, paperback book covers, paintings, p ...
. ''Doom''s multiplayer was co-developed with
Certain Affinity Certain Affinity is an American video game development studio based in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2006 by Max Hoberman and a small number of other ex-Bungie employees and other industry veterans. On October 18, 2024, Certain Affinity was ...
, though id parted ways with them after launch to work on the Windows-version multiplayer and introduce new features such as private matches, custom game settings, and an enhanced cheat detection system.
BattleCry Studios Bethesda Game Studios is an American video game developer and a studio of ZeniMax Media based in Rockville, Maryland. It is best known for its action role-playing franchises, including ''The Elder Scrolls'', ''Fallout'', and '' Starfield''. Bet ...
assisted id with post-release multiplayer updates. SnapMap was developed with
Escalation Studios Bethesda Game Studios is an American video game developer and a studio of ZeniMax Media based in Rockville, Maryland. It is best known for its action role-playing franchises, including ''The Elder Scrolls'', ''Fallout'', and '' Starfield''. Bet ...
. Patches for ''Doom'' after its release introduced a new photo mode, a new game option for holding weapons in the center of the screen as in the original games, and support for the
Vulkan Vulkan is a cross-platform API and open standard for 3D graphics and computing. It was intended to address the shortcomings of OpenGL, and allow developers more control over the GPU. It is designed to support a wide variety of GPUs, CPUs and o ...
API. The Vulkan patch was expected to enable playable frame rates on older hardware. Subsequent benchmarks show up to a 66% improvement in the frame rates on
AMD Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California and maintains significant operations in Austin, Texas. AMD is a hardware and fabless company that de ...
graphics cards, with minor changes in the performance of
Nvidia Nvidia Corporation ( ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang (president and CEO), Chris Malachowsky, and Curti ...
cards.


Soundtrack

''Doom''s soundtrack was composed by Australian musician and composer Mick Gordon, with contributions by American electronic musician and sound designer
Richard Devine Richard Devine is an Atlanta-based electronic musician and sound designer. He is recognized for producing a layered and heavily processed sound, combining influences from glitch music to old and modern electronic music. Devine largely records f ...
. Gordon met with id at their
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
headquarters in mid-2014 to discuss composing music for ''Doom''. At their meeting, id instructed Gordon not to use guitars or write a
metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
score, despite the original ''Doom'' having an
ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...
,
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
soundtrack by
Bobby Prince Robert Caskin Prince III, known professionally as Bobby Prince, is an American video game composer and sound designer. He has worked as an independent contractor for several gaming companies, most notably id Software and 3D Realms. Some of hi ...
, as id felt that the genre had grown "corny". Gordon was encouraged to use
synthesizers A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
, and used them to create the sound Argent energy might make. He designed several chains of
effects unit An effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion (music), distortion/overdrive, ...
s through which he passed
sub-bass Sub-bass sounds are the deep, low-register pitches below approximately 70  Hz (C2 in scientific pitch notation) and extending downward to include the lowest frequency humans can hear, approximately 20 Hz (E0). In this range, human hea ...
sine waves A sine wave, sinusoidal wave, or sinusoid (symbol: ∿) is a periodic wave whose waveform (shape) is the trigonometric sine function. In mechanics, as a linear motion over time, this is '' simple harmonic motion''; as rotation, it correspond ...
, layered with
white noise In signal processing, white noise is a random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. The term is used with this or similar meanings in many scientific and technical disciplines, i ...
to make them audible on widely available speaker equipment. According to Gordon, after "six to nine months fdoing just synthesisers", he convinced id to allow the use of guitars and began experimenting with augmenting their sound. For the main
riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...
of the main menu track, Gordon combined a nine-string guitar with a
sample Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...
of the chainsaw from the original ''Doom''. Gordon devised different soundscapes for Mars and for Hell, saying in an interview with ''
Revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
'' magazine, "As the arsenvironments were created by humans ... the music needed to sound like humans created it, too. ... That lead to Hell being more atonal, dissonant and weird." Some tracks, such as "At Doom's Gate", contain homages to Prince's work for the original ''Doom''. Gordon also included Easter eggs in the soundtrack; shortly after the game's release in May 2016, players discovered
pentagram A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle around ...
s and the number "666" hidden in the track "Cyberdemon" via
spectrogram A spectrogram is a visual representation of the spectrum of frequencies of a signal as it varies with time. When applied to an audio signal, spectrograms are sometimes called sonographs, voiceprints, or voicegrams. When the data are represen ...
. Speaking to the Game Development Conference about composing ''Doom''s soundtrack in 2017, Gordon revealed the presence of a reversed message, "Jesus loves you", in an unidentified track. On February 7, 2019, Gordon confirmed the discovery of the final Easter egg on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
.


Release and marketing

''Doom'' was released worldwide for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
, and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
on May 13, 2016, except in Japan, where it was released on May 19, 2016, and Stadia on August 19, 2020. It was the first game in the franchise to be released without censorship in Germany. A
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
port developed by
Panic Button A panic alarm is an electronic device that can easily be activated to request help during an emergency where danger to persons or property exists. It is designed to contact assistance quicker, easier, and simpler (in some cases, less conspicuo ...
was released on November 10, 2017, without SnapMap because of storage constraints of the
Game Card A Nintendo Game Card is a physical flash memory, flash storage card produced by Nintendo that contain video game software for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS line of handheld game consoles as well as the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 li ...
. Review copies of the game were held back until release day, which prompted comment from several gaming outlets. Bethesda partnered with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for a special promotion in which
Mikhail Aleshin Mikhail Petrovich Aleshin ( rus, Михаи́л Петро́вич Алёшин, p=mʲɪxɐˈil pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ɐˈlʲɵʂɨn, born 22 May 1987) is a Russian professional racing driver and the 2010 champion of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series ...
drove a ''Doom''-styled car at the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
racing competition. The vehicle crashed during the
2016 Indianapolis 500 The 2016 Indianapolis 500 (branded as the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil for sponsorship reasons) took place on Sunday, May 29, 2016, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was the pr ...
and was eliminated from the race.


Spin-offs

On June 12, 2016, at
E3 2016 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016 (E3 2016) was the 22nd E3, during which hardware manufacturers and software developers and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products to attendees, primarily retailers and m ...
, Bethesda announced a
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
 (VR) adaptation of ''Doom'' with a demo. The critical reception of the VR adaptation was mixed. A virtual pinball adaptation of ''Doom'' was released on December 6, 2016, as part of the ''Bethesda Pinball'' collection for '' Zen Pinball 2'', ''
Pinball FX 2 ''Pinball FX 2'' (stylized as ''Pinball FX2'') is a pinball video game for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows (Windows XP, XP and higher) and is the sequel to ''Pinball FX''. It was developed by Zen Studios and published by Xbox Game Studi ...
'', and ''
Pinball FX 3 ''Pinball FX 3'' is a pinball simulator video game developed and published by Zen Studios and is the sequel to ''Pinball FX 2''. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 in September 2017 and then released for the Nintendo S ...
'', as well as a separate
free-to-play "Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
app for
iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
and Android mobile devices. A VR spinoff of ''Doom'', ''Doom VFR'', was announced at
E3 2017 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 (E3 2017) was the 23rd E3, during which hardware manufacturers and software developers and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products to the attendees, primarily retailers a ...
and was released for the
PlayStation VR The PlayStation VR (PS VR) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was released in October 2016. The headset works with the company's PlayStation 4 video game console and is forward compatible with PlaySta ...
and
HTC Vive HTC Vive is a line of Virtual reality, virtual and mixed reality Virtual reality headset, headsets produced by HTC, HTC Corporation. The brand currently encompasses headsets designed for use with Personal computer, personal computers as well a ...
headsets on December 1, 2017. The game was set after the events of ''Doom'' and was generally well received by critics.


Trailers and cover art

Initial reception of the QuakeCon 2014 trailer accumulated considerable acclaim among fans. At
E3 2015 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015 (E3 2015) was the 21st E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It took place from June 16 to June 18, 2015, with 52,200 total attendees. Major exhibit ...
, on June 14, Bethesda showed gameplay from the singleplayer campaign and multiplayer, which was simultaneously applauded and criticized for its graphic violence. Hines responded by saying, "if you're not into violent, bloody games... ''Doom''s probably not a game for you." A live-action trailer directed by American filmmaker Joe Kosinski was released on March 31, 2016. On February 4, 2016, Bethesda revealed ''Doom''s official
box art Video game packaging refers to the physical storage of the contents of a PC game, PC or console game, both for safekeeping and shop display. In the past, a number of materials and packaging designs were used, mostly paperboard or plastic. Today, ...
, which was immediately criticized as "painfully boring and dull." From March 3, to March 7, 2016, Bethesda held a poll on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
to decide an alternate cover that would be printed on the obverse of the official box art. The winner, with 68% of the votes cast, was a cover inspired by the original ''Doom''s, showing the Doom Slayer battling demons in Hell.


Multiplayer alpha and beta tests

Bethesda announced on February 19, 2014, that a
beta version The software release life cycle is the process of developing, testing, and distributing a software product (e.g., an operating system). It typically consists of several stages, such as pre-alpha, alpha, beta, and release candidate, before the fi ...
of ''Doom'', then still called ''Doom 4'', would be made available to those who pre-ordered '' Wolfenstein: The New Order'' (2014), a reboot of ''Wolfenstein'' developed by
MachineGames MachineGames Sweden AB is a Swedish video game developer based in Uppsala. The studio was founded in 2009 by seven former employees of Starbreeze Studios, including founder Magnus Högdahl. After unsuccessfully pitching game ideas to several ...
and published by Bethesda. These players were also given exclusive access to an alpha test of ''Doom''s multiplayer, which ran from October 23 to 25, 2015. A second alpha test of the multiplayer was held from December 3 to 6, 2015. A datamine of the content in the alphas revealed aspects of the singleplayer campaign such as the existence of the Spider Mastermind. A closed beta test of the multiplayer began on March 31, 2016, and ended on April 3, and was followed by an open beta that ran from April 15 to April 18, 2016. ''PC Games'' criticized the weapons and weapon loadouts following the closed beta but praised the mobility. Nathan Lawrence of ''IGN'' and Adam Smith of ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'' also criticized the weapon loadouts and unfavorably compared the open beta to other shooters such as ''
Halo HALO, halo, halos or haloes may refer to: Most common meanings * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head * ''Halo'' (franchise), a sci-fi video game series (2001–2021) Arts and en ...
'', ''
Quake 3 ''Quake III Arena'' is a 1999 first-person shooter game developed by id Software. The third installment of the ''Quake'' series, ''Arena'' differs from previous games by excluding a story-based single-player mode and focusing primarily on mult ...
'', ''
Unreal Tournament ''Unreal Tournament'' is a 1999 first-person shooter game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. The second installment in the '' Unreal'' series, it was first published by GT Interactive in 1999 for Windows, and later released on the P ...
'', and ''Call of Duty''. The beta was also negatively received by players on
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
.


Downloadable content

''Doom'' supported
downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...
(DLC) packs, three of which had to be purchased, and added three new maps and a demon. These multiplayer DLCs were ''Unto the Evil'', released on August 4, 2016; ''Hell Followed'', released on October 27, 2016; and ''Bloodfall'', released December 14, 2016. On July 19, 2017, Bethesda made the three paid DLCs free to all players.


Reception

Upon release, ''Doom'' was positively received, with scores of 85/100 for PC and PlayStation 4, 87/100 for the Xbox One, and 79/100 on Nintendo Switch on
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
. The final PC version of the game received very positive reviews from users on Steam. The Nintendo Switch port was also praised in a review by ''
Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
''. The game's single-player elements received critical acclaim and were favorably compared to contemporary shooter games. Mike Henriquez of ''
GameRevolution Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male ...
'' described the visual and artistic design as "top-notch". Sam White in ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' lauded ''Doom'' for its performance on all platforms, weapon design, and score. Peter Brown of ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' praised single-player because he thought that the reboot captured the spirits of the older games, while refining them with modern elements. Brown also drew attention toward the soundtrack, calling it "impactful". Jordan Pearson of ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' also singled out the score for praise. James Davenport, writing for ''
PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...
'' in December 2016, called ''Doom''s soundtrack "one of the best" of 2016. ''Polygon'''s Arthur Gies remarked positively upon the exploration for collectables and secrets, and their relevance to the new upgrade feature, but he was critical of instances where the game would lock away sections of a level without warning. Zack Furniss of ''
Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. Histor ...
'', originally skeptical about the "Glory Kill" mechanic, ultimately considered it to fit well in the flow of gameplay. ''
Giant Bomb ''Giant Bomb'' is an American video game website and wiki that includes personality-driven gaming videos, commentary, news and reviews, created by former ''GameSpot'' editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis. The website was voted by ''Time (maga ...
''s Brad Shoemaker felt that the mechanic was "an essential part of the give-and-take of ''Doom''s super fast combat". Conversely, Kyle Orland of ''
Ars Technica ''Ars Technica'' is a website covering news and opinions in technology, science, politics, and society, created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews, and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, sci ...
'' felt that the mechanic briefly taking control away from the player can easily disorient players or misposition them. SnapMap was also positively received, with critics praising its simplicity and ease-of-use, but also expressing disappointment at only being able to use in-game assets. Matt Bertz of ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'' commented upon the accessibility but criticized the lack of diverse settings and possible limitations when compared to a traditional community-based
mod Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US * ...
. The multiplayer mode received mixed reception from critics. ''IGN''s Joab Gilory described ''Doom'' as "a tale of two very different shooters", stating that multiplayer did not live up to the standard set by the single-player components and would not satisfy players. Matt Buchholtz of ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The magazine was fou ...
'' criticized what he felt was the network's poor handling of latency. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of ''
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network. In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...
'' singled out the "Warpath" multiplayer mode as the most interesting of the match type, describing it as "memorable", and regarded the other multiplayer modes as underdeveloped and underwhelming. Julian Benson from ''Kotaku'' wrote that ''Doom''s multiplayer was very similar to other contemporary games. David Houghton of ''
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
'' called the multiplayer "endlessly playable, smart, brutal fun." Jon Denton, writing for ''Eurogamer'', also praised the multiplayer.


Sales

''Doom'' was the second best-selling retail game in its week of release in the US and UK behind '' Uncharted 4: A Thief's End'', By late June 2016, the game rose to number one in the UK charts, overtaking ''Uncharted 4'' and the later-released ''
Overwatch ''Overwatch'' (abbreviated as OW) is a multimedia franchise centered on a series of multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. ''Overwatch (video game), Overwatch'' was released in 2016 with a success ...
'', and remained number one for a second week. Sales for ''Doom'' on PC reached 500,000 copies in May 2016, 1,000,000 copies in August 2016, and 2,000,000 copies by July 2017. When ''Doom'' released for the Switch, it was the fourth-best selling title of its debut week in the United Kingdom.


Accolades

''Doom'' was named one of the best games of 2016 by critics and media outlets such as ''Giant Bomb'', GameSpot, ''GamesRadar'', '' The Escapist'', ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'', ''
Rock Paper Shotgun ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' is a British video game journalism website. It was launched in July 2007 to focus on PC game, PC games and was acquired by Gamer Network, a network of sites led by ''Eurogamer'', in May 2017. History ''Rock Paper S ...
'',
James Stephanie Sterling James Stephanie Sterling, also known as Commander Sterling and formerly known as Jim Sterling, is a British freelance video game journalist, critic, pundit, YouTuber, and professional wrestler. Before becoming independent in September 2014, s ...
, ''
VG247 Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
'', ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'', and ''
Shacknews ''Shacknews'' is an American video game journalism website founded in 1996. It that publishes news articles, reviews, and cheat codes. History ''Shacknews'' was founded in 1996 by Steve Gibson. The website, originally named 'Quakeholio', was ...
''. ''Doom''s soundtrack won the Best Music / Sound Design award at
The Game Awards 2016 The Game Awards 2016 was an award show that honored the best video games of 2016. It was produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on December 1, 2016, and was live streamed across several platforms. During th ...
; Gordon, joined by
Periphery Periphery or peripheral may refer to: Music *Periphery (band), American progressive metal band * ''Periphery'' (album), released in 2010 by Periphery *"Periphery", a song from Fiona Apple's album '' The Idler Wheel...'' Gaming and entertainme ...
drummer
Matt Halpern Matt Halpern (born June 21, 1983) is an American drummer best known for his work with progressive metal band Periphery. Biography Born in Baltimore, Halpern took an interest in music at a young age and got his first kids drum set aged 3, befo ...
and ''
Quake II ''Quake II'' is a 1997 first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Activision. It is the second installment of the Quake (series), ''Quake'' series, following ''Quake (video game), Quake''. Develope ...
'' composer
Sascha Dikiciyan Sascha Dikiciyan, known professionally as Sonic Mayhem, is a German video game composer, musician, producer and professional sound designer who has produced the soundtrack for ''Quake II'', ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' and '' Hellgate: London'', as ...
, performed a short medley of the tracks "Rip and Tear", "BFG Division", and ''Quake II''s "Descent Into Cerberon" at the awards show. It was also nominated for the Audio Achievement and Best Music categories of the
13th British Academy Games Awards The 13th British Academy Video Game Awards awarded by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, is an award ceremony that was held on 6 April 2017 at Tobacco Dock. The ceremony honoured achievement in video gaming in 2016 and was hosted b ...
.


Continuation


''Doom Eternal''

A sequel to ''Doom'', ''Doom Eternal'', was released on March 20, 2020, and is set years after, showcasing the Slayer's combat against demonic forces on Earth. The development of ''Doom'' influenced ''Doom Eternal''s in several ways. Post-release analysis by id and the ''Doom'' playerbase showed a reliance on the Super Shotgun to the exclusion of all other weapons by a large segment of the game's players. To encourage players to use other weapons, id reduced the amount of ammo the player could carry in ''Doom Eternal'' and reworked the other weapons, weapon mods, and enemies in the game, and added weaknesses to specific weapons to specific enemies. id also abandoned team deathmatch for ''Doom Eternal''s multiplayer and instead created a gamemode called Battlemode, in which AI and player-controlled demons battle a player-controlled Doom Slayer. SnapMap was not retained for ''Doom Eternal''.


''Doom: The Dark Ages''

A prequel to ''Doom'', ''Doom: The Dark Ages'', was released in 2025.


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * *


External links

* {{Authority control 2016 video games Bethesda Softworks games Video games about demons Doom (franchise) games First-person shooters Id Software games id Tech 6 games Multiplayer and single-player video games Multiplayer online games Nintendo Switch games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation 4 Pro enhanced games Science fantasy video games Stadia games Video game reboots Video games developed in the United States Video games scored by Mick Gordon Video games set in the 22nd century Video games set on Mars Video games set in hell Works set in the 2140s Video games with user-generated gameplay content Windows games Xbox One games Xbox One X enhanced games The Game Awards winners Certain Affinity games Panic Button (company) games Video games set in the future