Doom: The Dark Ages breaks records with 3 million players

The release of Doom: The Dark Ages is now officially the biggest in id Software's history. According to Bethesda, the game has reached 3 million players since its launch, surpassing in speed and scale even the previous franchise success, Doom Eternal. According to the publisher, this number was achieved seven times faster than the 2020 title.

Much of this impact comes from the distribution strategy adopted. Doom: The Dark Ages was made available on Game Pass from day one, which certainly boosted the number of players, especially in the Xbox ecosystem. According to data from the analytics company Ampere, over 2 million players came from the Microsoft platform.

On Steam, the game also stood out: from May 13 to 20, 2025, Doom: The Dark Ages led the store's sales ranking, ahead of Steam Deck, Stellar Blade, the newly released Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Cyberpunk 2077.

Despite the commercial success, there is an important caveat: the number of players does not necessarily represent direct sales, as the title was widely accessed through subscription. Still, the presence among the best sellers on Steam also shows strength outside of Game Pass.

The trajectory of Doom: The Dark Ages shows how classic franchises can reinvent themselves without losing their essence. In a competitive market, the combination of Game Pass, presence on PC, and good reviews seems to have