Recent Doom Leaks Could Be Pointing To A 30-Year First For The Franchise (2024)

The Doom franchise hasn't been afraid to innovate over the years, but there's one yet-unexplored direction that the next game could finally be going in. A big part of Doom's appeal is a sense of consistent momentum and forward progression, an ideal first defined in 1993 with the original game's lightning-fast gameplay and revolutionary engine. If the gameplay innovation ever halted, Doom would lose a lot of its appeal, but there are other ways to pivot that don't involve that kind of stagnation.

The idea that a new Doom game is coming soon has been picking up a lot of traction thanks to recent leaks and reports surrounding an upcoming title. Thanks to the ending of the DLC for 2020's Doom Eternal, however, it's been a bit unclear where exactly a new game might pick up. Although the Doom Slayer's story isn't a closed chapter, it does seem like a brief step away from his demon-killing adventures would make the most sense with the current status of the narrative.

The Next Doom Game Might Be Going Back In Time

A New Report Indicates Some Medieval Inspiration

As reported by Insider Gaming, the next Doom game is set to be revealed at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, and it's apparently going to bear the name of Doom: The Dark Ages. This intriguing title is accompanied by a description of a "medieval inspired" setting, seemingly confirming the idea that the dark ages concept is fairly literal. Although Doom's never placed much focus on chronology, this would mark the first time that the series might leap backward in time, further supported by a placeholder title of Year Zero that predated the official name.

The futuristic sci-fi element of Doom has always been one of its defining factors, making for an interesting mix with the Biblical nature of its threats. Moving to a lower-tech setting would shake up the formula in a major way, possibly trading in chainsaws, shotguns, and plasma rifles for swords, polearms, and hammers. Of course, it's also possible that the Doom Slayer or whoever stands at the forefront of the new game could be bringing the same firepower as always to the dark ages, embracing the gleeful anachronism that's set to define another upcoming shooter called Kingmakers.

Id Software Is No Stranger To The Dark Ages

Quake, Heretic, & Hexen Took Medieval Fantasy Inspiration

Doom: The Dark Ages wouldn't be developer id Software's first crack at a medieval-inspired game, although the more fitting franchises that the studio already has in place makes it a bit of an odd choice. Quake is a mix of many styles, but the medieval and gothic elements in the first game stem from a period in time when it was intended to be a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired RPG focusing on a hero with a mighty hammer. Heretic and its follow-ups Hexen and Hexen 2, developed by Raven Software and published through id, stuck more religiously to the dark fantasy concept.

Both of these franchises feel primed for a revival, but there's no denying that Doom is id Software's strongest brand, especially after the 2016 Doom took off in a way that 2017's Quake Champions didn't. The fact that Doom might be headed in this direction makes the return of the Heretic/Hexen series seem even less likely, which might be disappointing for fans waiting decades for a chance at another installment. It could also be an opportunity for id to bring some of those ideas back under a new banner, even if it means more ripping and tearing than before.

Where Doom: The Dark Ages Could Fit Into The Franchise

It Might Not Be The Literal Dark Ages

As far as how Doom: The Dark Ages could fit into the story of the Doom franchise, it's difficult to figure out any kind of definitive place. Most of the Doom franchise lacks any concrete information about its setting in time, with Doom 3's date of 2145 and the 2016 Doom's 2149 remaining the two main markers for now. Jumping to the actual Dark Ages could be a leap backward of a millennium or more, and connecting that to the Doom universe as it's been presented so far wouldn't be easy.

What might be more likely is that the medieval influence is less literal, as recent Doom material has already flirted with these elements. The world of Argent D'Nur that first showed up in Doom 2016 reappears in flashbacks in Doom Eternal, and its rich gothic atmosphere seems like it could be the perfect setting for this new direction. This would land the game closer to the territory of the original Quake than to Hexen in its overall aesthetic, balancing what fans already love about Doom with some historical fantasy inspiration.

This approach would also dive into the Doom Slayer's past, although the nature of the franchise makes it unlikely that Doom: The Dark Ages will angle to tell a rich history of his life or explore him as an emotionally complete individual. All the same, it could be fun to take a look at some earlier killing sprees, especially if the game leans into a different playstyle to accommodate the change. Slowing down the action would be a mistake, but short of that, there are a lot of potential directions to take things in.

Whatever Doom: The Dark Ages ends up being, it's certainly exciting that a new Doom game seems to be on the horizon. The potential for mastery that's found across all Doom games makes them wonderfully replayable, but only so much time can pass before the appeal of an entirely new experience starts to become undeniable. A medieval twist might be just the thing to shock another bolt of energy into Doom, and it should be possible to find out more about how that could happen on June 9.

Source: Insider Gaming