Doom: The Dark Ages, released on May 15, 2025, was anticipated as a bold new chapter in id Software’s storied franchise. Marketed as a prequel to Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal, it promised a “techno-medieval” twist with shield-based combat, a slower pace, and a single-player-only campaign.
However, despite high expectations, DOOM: The Dark Ages reportedly sold less than a million copies, which is a lot lower than expected. In this article, Gurugamer is going to show you the reason behind the game's poor performance in sales.
1. Tech Problems Locked Out Players
The game’s requirement for ray-tracing GPUs pissed off a ton of PC players who don’t have fancy RTX cards. On X, fans were like, “Forcing ray tracing on regular PCs? Bethesda’s clueless.” Forum posts backed this up, with people on RTX 3060s saying the game looked “pitch black” and ran like garbage.
Handhelds like the ROG Ally of course couldn’t handle it. One guy with a $4,000 rig said it was a “slideshow” and refunded it. These issues tanked accessibility, helping drag the Steam player count to a measly 31,000 peak compared to Doom Eternal’s 104,000.
2. Game Pass Stole Steam’s Thunder
Sure, Dark Ages hit 3 million "players" in a week, but being on Xbox Game Pass from day one sucked players away from Steam, making the game look dead there. Most players just "rent" the game on gamepass instead of buying.
Bethesda's recent mediocre streak is also an issue. Some fan posts pointed to bad blood with Bethesda, like their drama with composer Mick Gordon or complaints about “woke” stuff in their other projects.
3. Gameplay Didn’t Feel Like Doom—No Glory Kills
The slower, shield-based combat, lack of multiplayer, and—most crucially—no glory kills crushed fans expecting Doom Eternal’s fast, brutal action.
On X, one player fumed, “Shield’s neat, but the fighting’s repetitive, the story’s pointless, no glory kills rip out the heart, and no Mick Gordon music kills it.” Forum posts were savage, with one calling it a “weaker” Doom, missing the iconic glory kills that defined the series’ satisfying, in-your-face violence.
Fans felt the absence of those quick, gory finishers made combat feel flat and soulless, a huge step back from Eternal’s adrenaline rush. The lack of side content and replayability had players uninstalling after beating it, unlike Eternal, which kept them hooked for months. Ditching Mick Gordon’s killer soundtrack only made it worse, leaving the game feeling like it lost its core.
4. Crazy Price and No Physical Copy
At $80 for the base game and up to $120 for the deluxe edition, Dark Ages caught flak for being too pricey, especially without multiplayer.
X fans griped, “$80 for a single-player game in 2025? Hard pass.” The lack of a physical PC version ticked off collectors, with one saying, “No physical copy, no deal.”
Scalpers jacking up prices for limited collectibles added to the frustration. Fans felt Bethesda cared more about cash than making the game accessible, especially with Game Pass as a cheaper option.
Comments