DOOM: The Dark Ages - Everything you need to know!

Rip and tear once more as DOOM returns later this week with the launch of DOOM: The Dark Ages on May 15th (or the 13th with the Premium Edition). Take a look at our recap guide for the game to get up to speed while you wait!

What is DOOM: The Dark Ages?

DOOM needs no introduction, as it's been one of the godfathers of the FPS genre with the release of the original game all the way back in 1995 making 2025 the 30th anniversary. And later this week the legendary franchise returns with the release of DOOM: The Dark Ages on May 15th. This is the third entry in the rebooted series, which began with DOOM 2016 and followed up with DOOM Eternal in 2020.

This time around, the series is going back in time to an early medieval setting as the DOOM Slayer once again battles the forces of hell itself. Unlike the previous DOOM Eternal, which had more of a focus on aerial and glory kills, DOOM: The Dark Ages instead opts to keep the combat on the ground for a more intense approach. While you may lose some of the movement of Eternal, you instead make up for it with a new shield that's capable of being thrown at enemies and deflecting attacks back at them (think Captain America's shield).

As with other games in the series you will be able to get a range of weapons, many returning favourites including the super shotgun, but also newcomers such as a weapon that eats the skulls of fallen foes to spit out bullets back. The story itself also has over 20 levels, making it one of the longest in the series so far. Not only can you expect to find secrets within the levels like you would in other games, but there's also variety in the gameplay with a range of different missions,

In one moment you could be fighting a large beast with a DOOM Mech, while other times you could be flying around on your very own Dragon in the skies - dishing out justice from above. Thanks to the power of idTech8, you can expect the game to run on a number of hardware setups as it takes visuals and performance to the next level. See below to see if your hardware is capable of running the game :)

No matter if you're a newcomer to the series or an Ultra Nightmare veteran, DOOM: The Dark Ages will be the perfect action game for you this spring!

DOOM: The Dark Ages Trailer Recap

Bathe in glorious demonic environments with gameplay clips and trailers from the game while you wait. We put some of the best moments into a handy playlist for you to check out ahead of release!

DOOM: The Dark Ages PC system requirements

DOOM: The Dark Ages will also be a fast-paced action game typical of DOOM, where it is important to be in the "flow" when playing. This means killing as many enemies as possible in a bloodlust without jerky graphics interfering with the smooth scrolling. High FPS values, i.e. at least 60 FPS, are likely to be important to most PC gamers.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is therefore not exactly frugal from the outset. Developer ID Software specifies 16 GB of RAM as the minimum, but at least 8 GB of VRAM on the graphics card is enough. However, you should not ignore an additional note: The Dark Ages requires an NVME SSD as a data carrier. It is therefore better not to install the game on an outdated SSD or even on an ancient hard disc with mechanical components. This SSD should have a size of at least 512 GB - because with 256 GB SSDs it could be difficult to unpack the large amounts of data during installation.

Before you dive into the game, please remember to install the latest drivers for your graphics card for the release. AMD / Nvidia.

Minimum system requirements for FullHD resolution

• Operating system: Windows 10/11 64-bit
• CPU: AMD Zen 2 or Intel 10th generation CPU @3.2Ghz with 8 cores / 16 threads or better (examples: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or better, or Intel Core i7 10700K or better)
• Graphics: NVIDIA or AMD hardware ray-tracing capable GPU with 8GB of dedicated VRAM or better (examples: NVIDIA RTX 2060 SUPER or better, AMD RX 6600 or better)
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Disk: 100 GB available storage space
• Additional notes: 1080p / 60 FPS / low settings, 512 GB NVME SSD disc required

Recommended system configuration for WQHD resolution

• Operating system: Windows 10/11 64-bit
• CPU: AMD Zen 3 or Intel 12th generation CPU @3.2Ghz with 8 cores / 16 threads or better (examples: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X or better, or Intel Core i7 12700K or better)
• Graphics: NVIDIA or AMD hardware ray-tracing capable GPU with 10GB of dedicated VRAM or better (examples: NVIDIA RTX 3080 or better, AMD RX 6800 or better)
• Memory: 32 GB RAM
• Disk: 100 GB available storage space
• Additional notes: 1440p / 60 FPS / High Quality settings, 512 GB NVME SSD disc required

Recommended system configuration for Ultra 4K

• Operating system: Windows 10/11 64-bit
• CPU: AMD Zen 3 or Intel 12th generation @3. 2GHz with 8 cores / 16 threads or better (examples: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X or better, Intel Core i7 12700K or better)
• Graphics: NVIDIA or AMD hardware ray tracing capable GPU with 16 GB dedicated VRAM or better (examples: NVIDIA RTX 4080 or better, AMD RX 7900XT or better)
• Memory: 32 GB RAM
• Disk: 100 GB available storage space
• Additional notes: 2160p / 60 FPS / Ultra graphics settings, 512 GB NVME SSD disc required

DOOM: The Dark Ages PC Version Comparison

Whether you're an expert Demon Slayer, or trying the series for the first time there's an edition for you with both a Standard Edition and Premium Edition to choose from. Those who want to play 2 days early, as well as get extra DLC should opt for the Premium Edition. No matter which version you pick, if you order before May 15th you'll get the "Void" DOOM Slayer Skin.

DOOM: The Dark Ages PC pre-order bonus

DOOM: The Dark Ages will be released on May 15 2025. You can pre-order the Standard Edition to receive the Void DOOM Slayer Skin at launch. If you want to destroy demons earlier, you should pre-order the Premium Edition, which not only includes the Void DOOM Slayer skin, but also gives you the opportunity to play two days earlier. Premium Edition owners will also get access to a campaign DLC (information to be announced later), digital artbook, soundtrack and a Divinity Skin Pack (skin pack "Divinity").

DOOM: The Dark Ages PC launch and preload times

Be ready for the release later this week on May 15th at 21:00 PT / 1am BST / 2am CEST and start preloading the game today! Can't wait until then? If you purchase the Premium Edition you can play later today from 1am BST / 2am CEST.

Premium Edition Launch: May 12th at 9pm PDT / May 13th at 1am BST / 2am CEST
Launch: May 14th at 9pm PDT / May 15th at 1am BST / 2am CEST
Preload: Available Now!

Problems with DOOM: The Dark Ages? Help is on the way!

We are happy to help if you have technical problems with the PC version of DOOM: The Dark Ages or general questions about purchasing and activating the game. We have set up a first aid kit for this purpose. You can also contact our helpful support team at [email protected].