Draft:Doom: The Dark Ages

Doom: The Dark Ages is an upcoming first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is intended to be the eighth main entry in the Doom franchise and the third installment of the modern series. It narratively serves as a prequel to Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal (2020), taking place in a setting heavily modeled after the Middle Ages and depicting an earlier period in the life of the Doom Slayer. It will be released for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

id Software began work on their next game following the completion of Doom Eternal 's post-launch campaign The Ancient Gods in 2021, entering full production by August 2022. The game was first leaked in September 2023 ahead of its official announcement in June 2024.

Development
Following the release of Doom Eternal's second downloadable content (DLC) campaign The Ancient Gods - Part 2 in March 2021, creative director Hugo Martin teased that he was open to exploring more stories with the series protagonist Doom Slayer in future games, despite intending for The Ancient Gods to act as a culmination for the character's arc that began with Doom (2016). One possibility he expressed was telling a narrative around the Slayer's first encounter with the Night Sentinels on Argent D'Nur, in a setting that was more rooted in fantasy aesthetics compared to previous games. By November 2021, id Software had begun pre-production on a new action first-person shooter game. During QuakeCon 2022, executive producer Marty Stratton confirmed that the developer had begun production on their next project. In a post-launch interview following the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2023, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox Game Content and Studios head Matt Booty both teased id's new game, mentioning the project as one of the releases they were most excited for in Xbox's future lineup since acquiring the studio in March 2021.

In September 2023, numerous documents submitted by ZeniMax Media parent company Microsoft during the FTC v. Microsoft court case concerning their impending acquisition of Activision-Blizzard were leaked online, detailing numerous internal plans and projects that were in various stages of development at Microsoft Gaming and its subsidiaries. Included was an internal roadmap concerning multiple Bethesda Softworks titles in development, that were featured in a Microsoft presentation dated July 2020, just prior to ZeniMax's acquisition by the company. A new Doom entry titled Doom: Year Zero was listed as slated for release during Bethesda's 2023 fiscal year ending March 2024 at that time, with two sets of downloadable content (DLC) tentatively dated for the 2023 fiscal year and the 2024 fiscal year ending March 2025, respectively. Phil Spencer later acknowledged the leaks, expressing disappointment towards the manner in which the titles in development were unintentionally revealed to the public, while also stating that much of those plans had already changed by the time the projects were made known, pledging to "share the real plans when we are ready."

In May 2024, ZeniMax Media filed a trademark referencing the Doom (1993) cheat code "IDKFA", used to unlock every weapon in the game in addition to giving the player instant megaarmor. The trademark's filing came in conjunction with The Verge writer Tom Warren reporting that id's next Doom game would be revealed that summer. Later that month, numerous outlets reported the game as being officially titled Doom: The Dark Ages, with an announcement slated for Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase event on June 9, 2024. The game was speculated to be a prequel to Doom (2016), taking place in a setting reminiscent of the Middle Ages and potentially exploring an earlier period in the life of the Doom Slayer.

Release
In September 2020 following Doom Eternal 's launch, Microsoft entered an agreement to acquire Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion, gaining ownership over all of Bethesda's associated development teams and franchises, including id Software and the Doom license, now as part of Microsoft Gaming. Following the merger's completion in March 2021, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer clarified that future titles from Bethesda's studios would primarily ship on the platforms hosting their Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which presently encompasses Windows and Xbox consoles. In November 2021, Spencer stated that making future Bethesda games exclusive to their platforms was done to signify his commitment to bringing "the full complete package of what we have", a sentiment he shared for other franchises under the Xbox umbrella.

By February 2024, Microsoft Gaming was reported to be re-evaluating their approach to platform exclusivity, with considerations being made internally to allow certain titles from Xbox's studios to be distributed on PlayStation and Nintendo systems. Writer Tom Warren of The Verge reported that id's next Doom entry was among the games being weighed for the new release strategy. In May 2024, numerous news outlets corroborated that Doom: The Dark Ages would launch on multiple platforms simultaneously like the series' prior entries. The game was also reported to be immediately available on Xbox Game Pass like other recent Bethesda titles.

Doom: The Dark Ages was officially announced at Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase event on June 9, 2024, where it was confirmed for release on PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.