Since its launch last week, Doom: The Dark Ages has captivated 3 million players, yet Bethesda has not disclosed specific sales figures for the game. A recent social media update from Bethesda highlighted that Doom: The Dark Ages achieved the largest launch in id Software's history in terms of player count, reaching 3 million players seven times quicker than Doom Eternal did in 2020.
Delving into the specifics, Doom: The Dark Ages was released on May 15, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. While Steam provides public player data, the game's performance on this platform presents a different picture. On Steam, Doom: The Dark Ages reached a peak concurrent player count of 31,470, with a 24-hour peak of 16,328 players. Comparatively, Doom Eternal had a peak of 104,891 players five years ago, suggesting a relative struggle for The Dark Ages on Valve's platform. For further context, the original Doom from 2016 achieved a peak of 44,271 players on Steam, set nine years ago.
The impact of Game Pass must be considered when analyzing these figures. Doom: The Dark Ages was available on Game Pass from day one for both Xbox consoles and PC. This likely drew a significant number of players who opted for the subscription service over purchasing the game outright at its $69.99 price tag in the U.S. From Microsoft's perspective, this could be seen as a success, as it promotes Game Pass subscriptions. However, other games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which also launched on Game Pass, sold 2 million copies despite a lower price point of $50, raising questions about whether the higher price of Doom: The Dark Ages might have deterred some potential buyers.
Bethesda's decision to announce player counts rather than sales figures is consistent with its approach for other titles like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which reported 4 million players while also launching on Game Pass. Similarly, Ubisoft announced 3 million players for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows without disclosing sales numbers.
Ultimately, only Bethesda and Microsoft will know if Doom: The Dark Ages met its internal targets. However, the 3 million player count indicates strong performance on consoles and through Game Pass, while its reception on Steam appears less robust.
IGN's review of Doom: The Dark Ages awarded it a 9/10, praising its shift from the mobility-focused gameplay of Doom Eternal to a more weighty and powerful style that remains immensely satisfying and unique within the series.
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