reveal during today ’s Xbox Developer Direct , Doom : The Dark Ageswill departure on May 15 . Developer I d Software shared an extensive fresh look at the upcoming shooter during the showcase and Digital Trends learned additional details on what the studio describes as a comeback to chassis that takes cues fromthe originalDoom .

Doom : The Dark Ageswas first revealed during theXbox Games Summer Showcasein 2024 . It ’s a prequel to 2016’sDoomreboot that reimagines the shooter as a medieval fantasy . We have n’t see much of it since then , but I d just unleash a more comprehensive look at the project , detailing its design philosophy , fresh arm , and more .

Rather than iterate onDoom Eternal‘s mobility - wakeless gameplay , The Dark Agesis focused on in the buff major power . I d enounce that it took inspiration from 1993’sDoomthis time , with a more grounded approaching to combat . The Developer Direct presentations notes , for instance , that instrumentalist will find that strafe put off foe projectile is more practicable this time . In a Q&A session ahead of today ’s reveal , Director Hugo Martin explained howThe Dark Agesconnects to the originalDoom .

“ I think I expend more time play authoritative Doom on this task than I did in any other one , ” Martin say in response to a dubiousness from Noclip . “ There was a real deep dive . There is at the beginning of every project , but just realizing that the originalDoomand why it ’s stood the test of time is that it ’s really one of the most approachable shooters , first - person undivided - player campaigns , ever made … When it comes to combat , it ’s fantastically streamlined and that ’s why it ’s still fun to the day . The first thing I say is that it ’s a more sinewy and grounded over the acrobatics ofDoom eonian , and that ’s what that mean . When I say that when you ’ll see when you make for it that it ’s really a getting even to form , that ’s what I ’m saying . It feel more like classicDoomthan any game we ’ve made up to this point . ”

Though that aspect is familiar , The Dark Agesbrings some major change to the serial publication . In summation to a mass of brand raw guns , the Doom Slayer now bear a Shield Saw , which has multiple functions . It can bloc , counterpunch , and deflect onrush , and can be thrown at enemies like Captain America ’s buckler . All of that happens with the crush of contextual one push . He also has three equippable melee weapon — an Fe flail , a macebearer , and an electrify metal glove — which also work with a single clit . Glory kill have seen an renovation too with a more flexile system that lets thespian trigger them at any slant .

The Dark Ageswill includes more flexible accessibility choice too , allowing players to dial the game ’s speed up and down , among other feature .

In improver to its core shooting and exploration , The Dark Agesfeatures some much larger originative swing music . The Doom Slayer will fly both a 30 - story Atlan mech , as well as a dragon equipped with a Gatling gun . I d says that these are n’t just agile minigames , but amply build up out mechanics with their own boss fights .

As for its story , which begins with an imprisoned Doom Slayer , I d likens the projection to a Hollywood megahit . It emphasizes big set piece and a sound focussing on narrative . To accomplish the latter , the story will befall more in cutscenes than in lore codex this time ( though those will still exist alongside other collectible ) . Hugo Martin cites Batman comics , include Frank Miller ’s work on the serial , as a maneuver inspiration .

“ The inhalation was really the Batman comicBatman : Year One , ” Martin allege in response to a query from IGN . “ When we drop a line the fabrication for 2016 , I ’m a pretty big comic grind — there are with child comic fans than me — but I ’m a devotee , and I just lovedBatman : Year One . As we pen the fiction for the Slayer and his history and the Slayer ’s Testament stuff , that ’s what we called it internally . The hearsay was that we were call in itSlayer : Year One . That ’s what it was actually called for a while . ”

There ’s one thing thatThe Dark Ageswon’t have this time around : multiplayer . I d ’s Marty Stratton confirmed that the series ’ ususal retinue of musical mode was cut this sentence around to focus on the single - participant experience .

“ It ’s cause only . We made that decision really from the jump , ” Stratton say . “ We wanted to fundamentally free ourselves to produce things like the Atlan . The mech experience and the Draco experience , those are both almost like minigames within the game . We have a go at it our political campaign are to a heavy extent what citizenry have come to the modern Doom plot to encounter , so we decided to put all of our efforts behind that and create the biggest and proficient Doom game we ’ve ever made . ”

Doom : The Dark Ageslaunches on May 15 for PS5 , Xbox Series X / S , and PC .