Doom: The Dark Ages Marks id's Biggest Launch, Sales Figures Pending

Since its launch last week, Doom: The Dark Ages has attracted 3 million players, marking a significant milestone. However, Bethesda has yet to disclose specific sales figures for the game. A social media post from Bethesda proudly declared that Doom: The Dark Ages is the largest launch in id Software's history in terms of player count, reaching this impressive number seven times faster than Doom Eternal did in 2020.

To better understand these figures, it's crucial to examine the data across different platforms. Doom: The Dark Ages was released on May 15, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Steam, the only platform that publicly shares player numbers, reported a peak concurrent player count of 31,470 for Doom: The Dark Ages, with a 24-hour peak of 16,328 players. In comparison, Doom Eternal achieved a peak of 104,891 concurrent players five years ago, suggesting that The Dark Ages might have underperformed on Steam. For additional context, the 2016 Doom game reached a peak of 44,271 players on Steam, set nine years ago.

The influence of Game Pass cannot be overlooked when analyzing these numbers. Doom: The Dark Ages launched day-one on Game Pass for both Xbox consoles and PC, which likely drew a significant number of players opting for the subscription service over purchasing the game outright at $69.99 in the U.S. From Microsoft's perspective, boosting Game Pass subscriptions could be a strategic success, even if it impacts direct sales. Other games, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which sold 2 million copies despite a day-one Game Pass release, show that games can still achieve strong sales alongside subscription availability. However, Doom: The Dark Ages' higher price point may have deterred some potential buyers.

Bethesda's decision to announce player counts rather than sales figures is consistent with their approach for other titles, such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which reported 4 million players after a day-one Game Pass launch. Similarly, Ubisoft announced 3 million players for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows without revealing sales numbers. Only Bethesda and Microsoft have insight into whether Doom: The Dark Ages has met its internal sales targets, but the 3 million player count indicates strong performance on consoles and Game Pass, despite potentially weaker results on Steam.

IGN's review of Doom: The Dark Ages awarded it a 9/10, praising the game for its new, weighty, and powerful style of play, which, while departing from the mobility-focused gameplay of Doom Eternal, remains immensely satisfying.