Doom: The Dark Ages Sets Record Launch for id Software, Sales Data Pending

Doom: The Dark Ages has captivated 3 million players since its launch last week, yet Bethesda has not disclosed specific sales figures for the game. A social media post from Bethesda proudly declared that Doom: The Dark Ages marks the largest launch in id Software's history by player count, reaching 3 million players seven times faster than Doom Eternal did in 2020.

It's crucial to delve into the specifics of these numbers. Doom: The Dark Ages was released on May 15, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Since Steam is the only platform that publicly shares player data, it's a useful starting point for analysis. On Steam, Doom: The Dark Ages achieved a peak concurrent player count of 31,470, with a 24-hour peak of 16,328. In comparison, Doom Eternal reached a peak of 104,891 concurrent players five years ago, which might suggest that The Dark Ages performed relatively weaker on Valve's platform. For additional context, Doom from 2016 set a peak concurrent player count of 44,271 on Steam nine years ago.

However, the Game Pass effect must be considered when evaluating these figures. Doom: The Dark Ages was available on day one through Game Pass for both Xbox consoles and PC. This likely led to a significant number of players accessing the game via Game Pass, rather than purchasing it outright at the full price of $69.99 in the U.S.

From Microsoft's perspective, this could be seen as a positive outcome, as it drives subscriptions to PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Yet, we've seen games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which launched on Game Pass and still managed to sell 2 million copies despite its $50 price tag. The higher price point of Doom: The Dark Ages might have deterred some potential buyers.

Bethesda's announcement of 3 million players for Doom: The Dark Ages, without mentioning sales figures, echoes a strategy used previously with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which reported 4 million players upon its day-one Game Pass launch. Interestingly, Ubisoft adopted a similar tactic with Assassin's Creed: Shadows, announcing 3 million players rather than sales numbers.

Ultimately, only Bethesda and Microsoft will know if Doom: The Dark Ages has met its internal targets. However, the 3 million player count suggests strong performance on consoles and through Game Pass, while indicating potential challenges 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 that remains satisfying and unique within the series.