(Image credit: Bethesda)
Id Software has made a bold decision with Doom: The Dark Ages by completely omitting multiplayer. Given that the game reportedly features 22 chapters, this move isn’t entirely surprising.
In contrast, the previous iterations, 2016’s Doom reboot and its successor, Doom Eternal, have been celebrated for their exceptional FPS campaigns. However, both included multiplayer modes that didn’t quite capture the same level of acclaim. The original’s multiplayer offered a conventional arena shooter experience, while Eternal’s Battle Mode uniquely pitted two players as demons against a third player as Doomguy.
In an exclusive chat with GamesRadar+, Doom’s lead, Hugo Martin, revealed that the exclusion of multiplayer was a decision made “right from the beginning.” He clarified, “We chose early on to direct all our efforts toward crafting the finest campaign possible.” Reflecting on Eternal, he mentioned aspirations like integrating mechs, stating, “There were things we aimed to accomplish with Eternal.” Martin acknowledged that as the project’s scope expanded, allocating resources for a multiplayer component became challenging.
Addressing why a multiplayer mode wasn’t simply added, Martin pointed out, “It’s a live service… you can’t just do a little multiplayer. You’ve gotta go — fans’ expectation is [that] you go all the way.” He emphasized, “It would definitely come at the expense of the single-player aspects.” Although some fans might be disappointed with the lack of multiplayer, Martin conceded, “It felt good to just focus [on] Doom as a single-player experience and not try to turn it into a live service game.”
This decision was discussed in detail following a hands-on preview of Doom: The Dark Ages. GamesRadar+’s Oscar Taylor-Kent remarked, “What does come as a surprise is just how different Doom: The Dark Ages feels from what I’d expect from Doom, while still feeling extremely Doom.”
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