By KEVIN HOOVER
One of the worst kept secrets in recent gaming history was finally made official today during the Xbox Showcase, part of Summer Game Fest ’24. DOOM: THE DARK AGES, the third entry in the modern DOOM trilogy following 2016’s reboot and 2020’s DOOM Eternal, is also the first rip-and-tear gorefest produced by Bethesda under the Microsoft umbrella.
In-game footage included in the reveal trailer shows what DOOM players have to come to expect from the franchise over the last decade, including frantic firefights, massive weapons and visceral enemy dismemberment all set to the tune of a heavy metal soundtrack.
Purists who were critical of Eternal’s Halo-inspired sensibilities, however, may take umbrage with Bethesda’s continued shift away from DOOM’s roots, as DOOM: THE DARK AGES appears to be boots-off-the-ground more than ever before. One particular scene shows Doomguy the Doom Slayer perched on the back on a wyvern-stylized beast, no doubt reigning hell from above.
Keeping with Microsoft’s “Project Latitude” initiative, when DOOM: THE DARK AGES releases in 2025, not only will it land on Game Pass day one across the Xbox family of current gen consoles and PC, but also on PS5.
