Doom: The Dark Ages has quickly become a historic success for id Software, reaching three million players within a week of its release. Launched on May 15, 2025, across PC and consoles, the game has now become the biggest launch ever in the 34-year history of the developer.
The medieval-themed shooter is the first major Doom title under Xbox’s ownership, following Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of id Software. Following the huge success of Doom Eternal in 2020, the new game was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024, creating a lot of excitement among fans.
In the build-up to its release, Doom: The Dark Ages partnered with several brands for high-profile promotions, including a Doom-themed motorcycle with Harley-Davidson and GPU bundles with Nvidia. These efforts clearly paid off, helping the game attract a large and enthusiastic player base.
According to Bethesda, the game reached three million players seven times faster than Doom Eternal. Industry analyst Christopher Dring noted that over two million of these players were on Xbox, likely boosted by its day-one Game Pass availability.
While some concerns were raised about its lower peak concurrent players on Steam—only 31,470 compared to Doom Eternal‘s 104,891—the overall launch performance tells a different story. The lower Steam numbers appear to reflect Game Pass access rather than a lack of interest.
With strong momentum and continued buzz, Doom: The Dark Ages is expected to attract even more players in the coming weeks. The game’s launch also adds to Xbox’s winning streak, following successful releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in 2024.
