Since its launch last week, Doom: The Dark Ages has attracted an impressive 3 million players, marking the biggest launch in id Software's history by player count. This milestone was achieved seven times faster than Doom Eternal in 2020, showcasing the rapid growth in player engagement. Bethesda, however, has not yet disclosed the game's sales figures, leaving fans and analysts curious about its financial performance.
Released on May 15, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, Doom: The Dark Ages has made a significant impact across platforms. On Steam, the game reached a peak concurrent player count of 31,470, with a 24-hour peak of 16,328 players. Comparatively, Doom Eternal had a peak of 104,891 concurrent players, while the 2016 Doom hit a peak of 44,271. These numbers suggest that The Dark Ages may have had a relatively weaker performance on Valve's platform.
The influence of Xbox Game Pass cannot be overlooked when analyzing these figures. Doom: The Dark Ages was available on Game Pass from day one for both Xbox consoles and PC, likely attracting a substantial number of players who opted for the subscription service rather than purchasing the game outright at its $69.99 price point in the U.S. Microsoft's strategy to boost Game Pass subscriptions could be seen as successful here, despite the potential impact on direct sales.
Interestingly, other games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have managed to achieve strong sales while also launching on Game Pass. With a lower price tag of $50, Clair Obscur sold 2 million copies, demonstrating that a day-one Game Pass release doesn't necessarily hinder sales. The higher price of Doom: The Dark Ages might have deterred some potential buyers, adding another layer to the sales discussion.
Bethesda's decision to highlight player numbers rather than sales figures mirrors their approach with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which also saw 4 million players upon its Game Pass launch. Similarly, Ubisoft announced 3 million players for Assassin's Creed: Shadows without revealing specific sales data. This trend suggests a focus on player engagement over traditional sales metrics.
While only Bethesda and Microsoft have insight into whether Doom: The Dark Ages met its internal targets, the 3 million player count indicates strong performance, particularly on consoles and through Game Pass. On the other hand, its performance on Steam appears less robust.
IGN's review of Doom: The Dark Ages awarded it a 9/10, praising its shift away from the mobility-focused gameplay of Doom Eternal to a more weighty and powerful style that remains immensely satisfying and unique within the series.
