Doom: The Dark Ages has attracted 3 million players since its launch last week, though Bethesda hasn't disclosed official sales figures.
In a social media announcement, Bethesda revealed this marks the largest player count at launch in id Software's history - reaching 3 million players seven times faster than 2020's Doom Eternal achieved.
The breakdown reveals interesting trends. Released on May 15, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, Steam currently shows a peak of 31,470 concurrent players with a 24-hour peak of 16,328. Comparatively, Doom Eternal hit 104,891 peak concurrents five years ago, while 2016's Doom peaked at 44,271 nine years ago on Steam.
The Game Pass factor significantly impacts these metrics. As a day-one release on both Xbox and PC Game Pass, many players accessed The Dark Ages through subscription rather than paying the $69.99 retail price.
Microsoft's strategy focuses on subscription growth, though successful Game Pass launches haven't always hindered direct sales - evidenced by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 selling 2 million copies despite its Game Pass availability. The higher price point of Doom: The Dark Ages may have influenced some players' purchasing decisions.
The 3 million player announcement follows similar metrics reporting for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (4 million players) and Ubisoft's approach with Assassin's Creed: Shadows' 3 million player count.
While Bethesda and Microsoft have internal performance benchmarks, the player count suggests strong console and Game Pass performance offsetting relatively weaker Steam numbers.
IGN's 9/10 review praised the game: "Doom: The Dark Ages may strip away the mobility focus of Doom Eternal, but replaces it with a very weighty and powerful style of play that is different from anything the series has done before, and still immensely satisfying in its own way."
