Since its release last week, *Doom: The Dark Ages* has attracted a staggering 3 million players, marking the largest launch in id Software's history by player count. Bethesda has proudly shared this milestone, noting that the game reached this impressive figure seven times faster than its predecessor, *Doom Eternal*, which was released in 2020. Despite this success, Bethesda has yet to disclose specific sales numbers for *Doom: The Dark Ages*.

The game launched on May 15, 2025, across multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. On Steam, the only platform with publicly available player data, *Doom: The Dark Ages* achieved a peak concurrent player count of 31,470, with a 24-hour peak at 16,328 players. Comparatively, *Doom Eternal* reached a peak of 104,891 concurrent players, while the 2016 *Doom* hit 44,271 at its peak. These figures suggest that *Doom: The Dark Ages* may have faced challenges on Steam, especially when viewed against the backdrop of its predecessors.

An important factor to consider is the impact of Game Pass. *Doom: The Dark Ages* was available on day one for Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers. This likely influenced player numbers, as many may have opted to try the game through their subscription rather than purchasing it outright at the full price of $69.99 in the U.S. Microsoft's strategy of boosting Game Pass subscriptions might view this as a success, though it raises questions about the game's direct sales performance.

Other games, like *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*, have shown strong sales despite being available on Game Pass from launch. Priced at $50, *Clair Obscur* has sold 2 million copies, suggesting that price point and Game Pass availability can coexist successfully. The higher price tag of *Doom: The Dark Ages* may have deterred some potential buyers, despite its positive reception.

Bethesda's decision to announce player numbers without sales figures mirrors its approach with *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered*, which also saw 4 million players with a day-one Game Pass launch. Similarly, Ubisoft announced 3 million players for *Assassin's Creed: Shadows*, rather than sales figures. This trend indicates a shift towards highlighting player engagement over traditional sales metrics.

Ultimately, only Bethesda and Microsoft have insight into whether *Doom: The Dark Ages* has met its internal sales targets. However, the 3 million player count strongly suggests that the game has performed exceptionally well on consoles and through Game Pass, even if it has struggled somewhat on Steam.

IGN's review of *Doom: The Dark Ages* awarded it a 9/10, praising its unique and satisfying gameplay that diverges from the mobility-focused style of *Doom Eternal* to a more weighty and powerful approach.