Overview
- Doom: The Dark Ages has recorded lower player counts on Steam compared to its predecessor, Doom Eternal, largely attributed to its availability on Xbox Game Pass.
- Despite its reduced player base, Doom: The Dark Ages has garnered a positive critical response, achieving an impressive score of 87 on OpenCritic.
The recently launched Doom: The Dark Ages is facing challenges with its Steam player count, which pales in comparison to the record highs set by Doom Eternal. This lower engagement on Steam can be directly linked to the strategic decision to launch the game simultaneously on Xbox Game Pass.
In contrast to its humble player numbers, Doom: The Dark Ages has made waves among critics, earning an excellent score of 87 on review aggregator OpenCritic. Over the past decade, the rebooted FPS series has consistently pushed the envelope, introducing fresh experiences with each installment. After over thirty years since id Software revolutionized the first-person shooter landscape with the original Doom, it’s commendable to see the developer continue to innovate and capture player interest.
According to a report by The Gamer, the early player numbers for Doom: The Dark Ages are significantly lower than the peak numbers achieved by Doom Eternal, which, upon its release five years ago, enjoyed an all-time high of 104,891 concurrent players. Notably, Doom Eternal’s launch coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, when many gaming platforms experienced a surge in user engagement. In comparison, Doom: The Dark Ages has only recorded a peak of 30,812 players, highlighting a substantial decline from its predecessor.
Doom: The Dark Ages’ Player Count Compared to Doom Eternal
However, not all aspects are discouraging. The simultaneous launch of Doom: The Dark Ages on Xbox Game Pass undoubtedly plays a significant role in its decreased player count on Steam. Unlike Doom Eternal, which did not have the advantage of this platform, many players are opting to experience the game via the subscription service instead.
As the gaming community delves deeper into Doom: The Dark Ages, anticipation surrounds the future direction of the franchise. While the developers at id Software have yet to disclose details about any forthcoming DLC, it’s noteworthy that access to campaign DLC is included in the Premium Edition of Doom: The Dark Ages. This suggests that additional content is indeed on the horizon, and fans can only remain hopeful for official announcements to emerge soon.