Doom: The Dark Ages Marks id's Biggest Launch, No Sales Data Yet

Doom: The Dark Ages has made a significant impact since its release last week, amassing an impressive 3 million players. However, Bethesda has yet to disclose the actual sales figures for the game. A social media post from Bethesda highlighted 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.

To better understand these figures, it's crucial to consider the platforms on which Doom: The Dark Ages was released: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, as of May 15, 2025. Steam, being the only platform that publicly shares player data, provides some insight. On Steam, Doom: The Dark Ages achieved a peak concurrent player count of 31,470, with a 24-hour peak of 16,328 players. In comparison, Doom Eternal reached a peak of 104,891 concurrent players five years ago, and the 2016 Doom hit a peak of 44,271 players nine years ago. These numbers suggest that Doom: The Dark Ages might have underperformed relative to its predecessors on Steam.

However, the influence of Game Pass cannot be overlooked. Doom: The Dark Ages was available on Game Pass from day one for both Xbox consoles and PC, which likely attracted a significant number of players who opted for the subscription service rather than purchasing the game outright for $69.99 in the U.S. From Microsoft's perspective, this could be beneficial as it drives subscriptions to PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Yet, games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which launched on Game Pass and sold 2 million copies at a lower price point, show that high sales are still possible. The higher price of Doom: The Dark Ages might have deterred some potential buyers.

It's noteworthy that Bethesda announced the player count for Doom: The Dark Ages but not the sales figures, a strategy similar to what was used for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which also launched on Game Pass and saw 4 million players. Ubisoft took a similar approach with Assassin's Creed: Shadows, announcing 3 million players instead of sales numbers.

Ultimately, only Bethesda and Microsoft have access to the internal targets set for Doom: The Dark Ages. The 3 million player count indicates strong performance on consoles and Game Pass, despite possibly weaker numbers on Steam.

IGN's review of Doom: The Dark Ages awarded it a 9/10, praising its shift from the mobility-centric gameplay of Doom Eternal to a more weighty and powerful style that remains satisfying and unique within the series.