id Software is ready to prove once again why it is a master of the FPS genre. 'Doom: The Dark Ages' major campaign DLC, 'Revelations,' will launch simultaneously on July 7 for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

In a preview broadcast ahead of the expansion's release, id Software game director Hugo Martin and executive producer Marty Stratton personally introduced the new content in detail. The development team described 'Revelations' not merely as a DLC, but as a work that serves as a "culmination of Doom's 35-year history."

The gameplay duration is approximately 10–12 hours depending on difficulty, which is equivalent to the combined scale of the two expansions for the previous title, 'DOOM Eternal.'

"All growth is designed around the Spear" - The core new weapon, 'Chain Spear'

The star of this expansion is the new 'Chain Spear' weapon revealed in the trailer. Most of the DLC's growth elements are structured around this weapon, and it can only be fully upgraded by progressing through the entire campaign. Many of the most powerful meta-defining abilities are designed to be unlocked in the end-game phase.

The Chain Spear is not just an additional weapon, but a tool that adds new mobility to the heavy combat of 'The Dark Ages.' By combining a dash with a grapple hook, it enables movement that the developers describe as "a monster truck with a jet engine strapped to its back." It has significant mechanical depth, requiring some time to master, and features unique abilities with individual upgrade traits.

First, the 'Stab' is an effective attack against close-range enemies, and a downward strike from the air can attack or knock back all surrounding enemies. Additionally, the 'Throw' skill, which involves hurling the spear directly, is a technique for dealing with distant enemies and is specialized for flying targets.

Furthermore, the Chain Spear can be used like a grapple hook to rotate around and pressure enemies, while the 'Slash' can break enemy armor or parry incoming melee projectiles. These techniques require precise timing, and the developers noted that mastering them will provide the thrill of 'wielding a spear against the demons of Hell.'

New demons are also appearing. The developers compared DOOM's combat to "high-speed chess" and teased new enemies that act as new 'chess pieces.' Familiar faces like the Archvile and Pain Elemental return, and a new wizard-type enemy, the Warlock, is added, which excels at buffs and evasion and must be dealt with quickly.

In addition, enhanced variant AI such as the Specter Whiplash and Purple Hell Knight will appear, along with explosive zombie variants that create environmental hazards upon elimination.

Core structure: 60% base game + 40% end-game

'Revelations' adopts a different structure from previous works. The campaign consists of two parts: the 'base game' and the 'end-game,' with about 60% of the total experience being base game missions and the rest being end-game content. The level design is maze-like, requiring players to fully understand the space to discover all hidden growth elements. The developers praised their work on exploration, backtracking, and secret area unlocking as "the best we've ever done."

Completing the base game unlocks the Master difficulty end-game. The end-game includes unique paths, special suit encounters, and arcade-style 'Slayer Trials' with scoring elements. Notably, the ability to unlock playable spaces from the classic 'DOOM' series is a highlight.

Completing all end-game content grants the 'Astral Key,' which allows players to challenge the 'Uber Boss.' Defeating it unlocks the 'Master Arena Key.' The Master Arenas are four high-intensity spaces featuring the game's most difficult combat. Clearing all of these unlocks a massive amount of additional DLC content, including a fully upgraded Chain Spear, new maps, and encounter presets in the 'Ripatorium.'

The base of operations for this expansion is the 'Slayer's Hub.' While it is essentially a prison where the Slayer is trapped, it serves as the center of exploration in terms of gameplay. The developers compared the hub in 'Eternal' to a "stepping stone," explaining that this new hub further enhances Metroidvania-style elements such as hidden passages and puzzles. A new 'objective wheel' has also been added to easily display content for players to challenge, aiding in the exploration of the vast content.

'Revelations' is also an important chapter in the series' narrative. As revealed in the trailer, things do not always go according to plan for the invincible killing machine. The story depicts the Slayer's 'fall' after being stripped of his weapons and his 'journey to ascension,' with his actions ultimately changing the surrounding world forever. A vast amount of lore, pieced together from scattered pages and clues, is provided for users who want a deep background story.

Free update 'Ripatorium 3' applied simultaneously

Along with the DLC release, the customizable infinite arena mode 'Ripatorium' will be updated to its third and best version, 3.

This update is provided for free to all 'DOOM: The Dark Ages' users regardless of their edition, adding deeper customization, improved passcode generation, and personal preset save/load functions. It also includes presets for users who find it burdensome to configure encounters themselves, functioning as a mode to enjoy DOOM in short bursts without launching the campaign. 'Revelations' owners can use 3 new maps, additional demons, and fully upgraded weapons in the Ripatorium upon completing the story.

Meanwhile, the game's music is handled by 'Finishing Move,' following the main game, and composer Andrew Hulshult, renowned for his work on the DOOM series, participated in some of the classic level tracks.

'DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations' will launch simultaneously on July 7 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations Developer Q&A

Immediately after the preview, a live Q&A session was held with key developers from id Software. Executive Producer Marty Stratton and Game Director Hugo Martin answered questions ranging from the skill depth of the new 'Chain Spear' and the end-game structure to the narrative justification for classic 'DOOM' levels and the design intent behind the difficulty.

The modern DOOM series is famous for its skill-based action. Will there be new opportunities for players to show off their skills in this DLC?

Hugo Martin = Those opportunities will all come from the 'Chain Spear.' The Chain Spear has various skills like throwing, stabbing, grappling, and slashing, and each ability acts as a counter to specific enemy (AI) types. So, I hope you read the descriptions for each ability carefully when you start the game. As with previous titles, we have specified in the descriptions which counters are effective against which AI types.

For example, the spear-throwing attack is more effective against flying enemies and can deal higher damage. When you encounter a Cacodemon or Pain Elemental, you have to decide whether to spend your upgrade points there or save them for the melee enemies that will appear later. Stabbing is more effective against melee enemies.

This example refers to counters for basic attacks, but as you progress through the game and upgrade your abilities, the counters for each action expand to other types. This DLC features many evasive enemies like the Archvile that stir up the space, and if you invest abilities into stabbing, you can stun them.

Ultimately, we believe that players will have to make more choices while being pressured by various enemies in the DLC, and the room for skill expression will grow accordingly.

Marty Stratton = There is one point to note. The Spear's abilities are triggered instantly with different button combinations without having to switch weapons. In Eternal, you had to switch weapons to use some counters, but with the Spear, all those decisions are made instantly with a single key combination. It's that easy to use, and it's cool.

Hugo Martin = In the main game of The Dark Ages, the decision to exploit enemy weaknesses was mainly made by the 'Shield Saw' in the left hand. That structure remains the same in the DLC. However, with both the Spear and the Shield in the left hand, there are more options. You can use your left hand for decision-making and your right hand for weapons that deal damage.

You mentioned a 10–12 hour duration; how much of that is the main path? Could you tell us how many campaign levels there are?

Hugo Martin = I would like you to see the entire DLC as being about 10–12 hours long. The end-game is not just simple additions or rehashes of content you've already experienced; most of it is filled with completely new experiences. While one or two 'Slayer Gate' arenas from Eternal have been recycled, it is basically a path where new spaces and combat are newly unlocked.

Players complete each level, and by clearing the DLC base campaign and the final boss, they complete the 'Master Key.' You collect pieces of the Master Key in each base level, and once the key is complete, you can proceed beyond gates you saw during the campaign but couldn't open. It will be a familiar space, but like classic DOOM, there is a lot of backtracking, and you will play vast content including Slayer Trials there.

As for the number of levels, there are four levels plus the Slayer Hub, for a total of five. Each level is large, and the hub itself is a level. Therefore, we are looking at about 12 hours in total, but it could be longer or shorter depending on your playstyle and difficulty.

Marty Stratton = Because of the hub and its structure, if you do backtracking, it might feel like there are about 10 levels. The ratio of the main game to the end-game is roughly 6:4, and the playtime will vary greatly depending on the amount of exploration, whether you collect 100%, and individual adeptness.

Levels from the old 'DOOM 2' appear; is there a narrative setting or explanation that includes those levels?

Hugo Martin = This DLC can be called a tribute to all 'DOOM' games, dating back to DOOM (2016). We have always treated all DOOM games as canon, and DOOM (2016) was an attempt to tie them into one experience.

Actually, we haven't had a chance to cover the protagonist's time as a marine before he became the DOOM Slayer. As you saw in the trailer, according to the novel, his name is 'Flynn Taggart.' And this time, we got the chance to cover that era. We tell part of Taggart's story in a section we call 'Nightmare,' and that served as the fictional justification for bringing in the classic levels.

We brought the classic levels in almost untouched. Then we saw that the demons' heads were touching the ceiling. Seeing that, I sometimes think I should have tweaked them a bit more.

Marty Stratton = The classic levels are also expressed differently. In the past, the graphics were a faithful reproduction almost to the pixel, but this time, we kept the layout original while upgrading the textures to a modern engine. Ray tracing has also been applied, and the balance will be really cool.

I'm curious about how you set the direction for the 'Revelations' DLC while finishing the development of 'The Dark Ages' main game.

Hugo Martin = I've wanted to make this content since 2016. Following the method of the 'IP textbook' that I consider Tolkien devised and Lucas perfected, I paid attention to having deep settings and actual history from the time I wrote DOOM (2016). So, many of the things you will experience and do in this game were already written in the codex of the 2016 work. You will also meet the person who made the Slayer's armor. It will be quite cool.

This work is in the same position as DOOM Eternal is to DOOM (2016). Just as Eternal started from the base kit of 2016 and built mechanisms on top of it, The Dark Ages is in the same vein. It was a job of digging deeper into the Slayer's story, so I enjoyed it the whole time I was making it.

Marty Stratton = I definitely want to point out the codex. The Slayer's Testament in 2016 and the Eternal codex were both excellent, and this codex is also really good. If you like lore and have been following it, you will be satisfied that the foreshadowing and questions from the past are resolved by the time you finish the game. The content originating from The Dark Ages also hits hard in the codex. I hope you dig into it.

Hugo Martin = As a tip, reading the 'History of the Sentinels' in the Eternal codex will help. We also read it countless times while preparing for the DLC. If you want a quick review, start with that.

Are there any other parts of DOOM (2016) or DOOM: Eternal that influenced this DLC?

Hugo Martin = As it is a tribute to all DOOM games, it was definitely influenced. The story, codex, and UI elements were taken from 2016, mechanisms like the grapple hook from Eternal, and the action of slamming the spear like a hammer from The Ancient Gods DLC.

This time, because the DLC is large, we were able to incorporate these elements better. The reason the DLC scale became this large is that we introduced one tool (the spear) and needed space to give it meaningful growth. Only with a 10–12 hour duration can you build depth into a tool like the spear and layer mechanisms on top of each other.

I want to say this in advance. At first, you might feel that the spear is weak and the shield is much better. I hope you spend more time and invest in it before you run to the Steam store to write a review. You have to spend almost the entire main game duration to truly realize the value of the Chain Spear, and its true depth and power are only revealed in the end-game. I definitely think it's equal to the Shield Saw. However, when you first get it in the first level, there is no progress or upgrades, so it might feel that way. There is an enormous amount of depth to discover.

Are the flashbacks of 'Flynn Taggart' accompanied by gameplay, or are they closer to interactive lore pages?

Hugo Martin = They are playable. It's a short but meaningful gameplay experience. The core theme of this narrative approach, especially the story, is 'letting you feel it yourself rather than watching it.' Basically, it deals with the DOOM Slayer's memories, and there are a few more prepared. I can't say too much, but it will be quite cool.

Does the Archvile summon demons, or does it resurrect them?

Hugo Martin = It summons them. Also, a demon called a Warlock appears, which is tricky to deal with because it buffs demons and makes certain areas dangerous. It's better to eliminate it quickly. On top of that, the Archvile summons enemies.

Of course, opportunities for counters and skill expression arise here too. We wanted to make players make choices in the middle of combat. That's the real fun of modern DOOM. Take a good look at the upgrades. As a tip, the upgraded stab deals massive damage to summoned enemies, making them like a kind of bomb. If you are a player who is good at DOOM, digging into this will be really fun.

Does the emphasis on spear movement mean you've given up some of the vertical mobility of Eternal?

Hugo Martin = Again, it's basically the same relationship as Eternal to 2016. The main game of The Dark Ages has so many new mechanisms that the tutorial alone spans several levels. There is that much to assemble. The DLC is an opportunity to add more mechanisms on top of that foundation, so it's fun to make.

As I said in the video, it's like strapping an engine to the back of a tank. We left the Slayer's heaviness as it is but added a new movement tool. What we are proud of is 'choice.' Player choice plays a big part in The Dark Ages. Players said, "I feel like I can play most of the game with just one tool," and that was an intended design.

If the Plasma Rifle is your main weapon, you can dig into shield and melee tool upgrades to create synergy. You are essentially building according to your preferred weapon. We call weapons 'rhythm guitars.' This is also an intended choice. Choice is also key in the DLC. You can use the spear and shield together, go back to just the shield, or play with just the spear.

For those who want to focus on the ground, we put a lot of mechanisms into the Meathook tool. I think it's deeper than the Meathook in Eternal. There is an ability called 'orbit,' which appears in the trailer as a scene where you rotate around an enemy you've hooked. It's a kind of lock-on, like Z-targeting. If you press it again and hold the input, you circle around the enemy, and certain upgrades and abilities are enhanced.

For example, during an orbit, you can charge the Accelerator's Heat Blast to land a lethal combo, and you can also build up Pulverizer charges. It's packed with strategies for those who want to operate on the X-axis ground rather than in the air.

Is there a reason you kept the shield instead of focusing only on the Chain Spear?

Marty Stratton = It's a matter of choice. When you first start the game, the shield is broken. I believe everyone saw that in the trailer. So, for a not-so-short time, you are literally forced to use the spear without the shield. It's definitely a moment that requires adaptation. You meet the Archvile for the first time while holding the spear in the first skill-check arena. It's a different mechanism from what you're used to. But as you use it, you become proficient, and when you get the shield back, you have choices.

What I especially want to emphasize is the end-game. You have to alternate between the two tools depending on the situation, and I really like that pacing. In moments that aren't intense, we induce you to use the shield, and as you get closer to the final end-game, we demand well-honed, fast weapon switching. I'm not a top-tier Nightmare-level player, but as I kept playing, I found myself switching between the shield and the spear. It's really fun and gives you a lot to think about.

Hugo Martin = Even after you get the shield back, as Martin said, you can't use it for certain levels. Moreover, because it's damaged in the story, it's not at full power. All the upgrades are there, but it's not fully unlocked. There is a development related to 'The Wretch' at the end of the game, and I can't say in detail because it's a spoiler, but the shield regains its full power.

And by that time, the spear is also almost complete. There are so many end-game-exclusive growth elements. That's why the end-game has great significance. It's not just more combat; there is an entire tier of spear-exclusive upgrades, and they are unlocked with red end-game-exclusive resources. Those resources are placed in every new end-game path, so you can unlock them if you collect them.

Once you go in there, the game starts to go crazy in earnest. We raised the combat intensity to 10 to match that power. This DLC is twice the size of The Ancient Gods, so we could focus on the pacing. The Ancient Gods had high intensity from the moment you turned it on, and players liked that, but this time we gradually raise the difficulty and reach a peak even higher than The Ancient Gods. When you clear the game, a lot of Ripatorium additional content is unlocked, and you can run wild to your heart's content with a fully upgraded spear there.

id has released three distinct DOOM games and a major DLC with very high completion over about 10 years. What do you think is the secret to achieving these results under the pressure of AAA development?

Marty Stratton = I think it's a combination of several factors. A lot of time and things like 'muscle memory.'

We always think of ourselves as athletes or a team. There is personnel turnover in a team, but there is the way we work, the approach of the leadership group, a clear and focused vision, and the ambition to try adventures enough and accept them comfortably. We have always been ambitious. Just looking at this DLC, we developed it for about a year after The Dark Ages.

After The Dark Ages development ended, we also spent time on balance work. It's not a simple rehash, but a large and meaningful job. That's the work the people here love. Every game stands independently while maintaining familiarity. It's like a good recipe. If you put all the ingredients in, take the time to refine and change them, something reproducible comes out. These are the things we have been doing.

Hugo Martin = People talk about the pressure of AAA development, but we have internal pressure. The founders, the team that came before us. Because they invented the genre and made one of the best shooters and games of all time.

If you were to pick the five best FPS games of all time, 'DOOM 1' is almost always on the list. In other words, they made 'The Godfather.' So our project is bound to be good. The internal pressure is high, but we live for it. And that's why I'm here. I'm a huge fan of the people who made these games, and it's an honor to do this work. It's a bit cheesy, but it's true.

And it's fun rather than work. High-skill FPS games aren't commonly made. We make them well enough that you like them, so we can keep making them. I think we've carved out our own place in games. Moreover, most of you accompany us to reinvent the new combat loop with every work. That's really important.

I'm not saying what we made is perfect. Criticism that it should be like Eternal, 2016, 'DOOM 1' or 'DOOM 2' piles up with every work. But that's okay. Mostly everyone supports us, and we are grateful for that. We hope the next work, whether it's DOOM or not, will be completely different from what it has been so far.

Marty Stratton = To add one more thing, the entire team has immense respect for DOOM and what it means to people. Even when we try something new, we always include deep respect for all of that. It's the same for mechanisms or the sensitivity of the lore. You can tell by listening to the conversations surrounding the work of how tricky it is to write for a protagonist who barely speaks. There is immense respect for the points where the franchise is loved.

You said exploration is key; how is it implemented? Will we get to ride a dragon again?

Hugo Martin = The dragon is dead, and the one who killed it is also dead. So there is no dragon this time. 'Atlan' didn't fit in the story either. Actually, I tried putting it in one version, but it didn't fit narratively. Even though the DLC is large, we kept the focus narrow to tell the story we really wanted to tell in a meaningful and satisfying way.

There is a lot of exploration. We placed a lot of weight on backtracking. The journey to get the shield back works with Metroidvania-style elements. You will eventually fully grasp and make your own the space that was confusing like a maze at first. In that process, many areas including the hub and growth items are unlocked. And this time, secret items are not displayed on the map. One playtester thought there were no secrets this time. No, we just hid them.

This is a response to feedback. I think a self-critical attitude as a creator and a creative team, and an attitude of listening to feedback are important. We always do that. When talking about Eternal, it might have sounded like we hated DOOM (2016), but that's not it. We just listened to the feedback. The same goes for The Dark Ages and this DLC. One of those pieces of feedback was 'it's better when secrets are hidden.' So this time, they are not on the automap. Instead, there are really many exploration elements such as lore resources, secret paths, and classic doors to unlock.

The new soundtrack for this DLC also looks amazing. What was the inspiration?

Hugo Martin = Honestly, I don't know what the inspiration was. I just had a session with Finishing Move, and my feedback was usually "amazing." When I get the chance to make a DLC, I usually try to leverage the strengths of the main game. Just as many people consider The Ancient Gods Part 1 the 'peak of Eternal,' I hope many people feel this work is the 'peak of The Dark Ages.' Honestly, it would be even better if they called it the 'peak of DOOM itself.'

Honestly, I think it's the best DOOM experience we've ever made. I hope you feel that way too. It feels like the culmination of the last 13 years. No, if you add the Flynn Taggart-related content and the traces of the spear and shield slam, it feels like the culmination of the last 30 years. Of course, the tank-like heaviness of The Dark Ages also exists.

I think the soundtrack is Finishing Move's best work. The team is using music in the best way. It's really amazing. It's colorful and cinematic. I especially like that. It's not a rock concert, it's a rock orchestra. It has a sense of scale and cinematic texture, so it perfectly complements the mythic tone of The Dark Ages.

I'm curious about how many variants of enemies appear in the DLC.

Hugo Martin = Explosive purple Hell Knights, Specter Whiplash variants, and Agaddon Hunter variants. We are preparing various variants. I can't tell you the exact number.

The biggest change is that we have significantly increased evasive AI. They will drag players all over the space. As these new AI fill the roster, combat that we are proud to call the best ever was born. Like chess pieces and a chessboard. It became possible to make combat a new and fresh experience for every level.

We also made changes to zombie enemies. There was feedback that when players engage with Agaddons, they die without realizing it because of the hordes of zombies gathering behind them. Originally, these zombies are harmless beings placed like sheep to collect resources during combat, but when the space became small, they were often pushed back and surrounded.

So we replaced some with blue zombies. One blue zombie will restore the health of four or five regular zombies. Personally, I think it's a quite satisfying change.

This DLC seems to have raised the difficulty significantly. Who did you have in mind when designing the experience for the DOOM community.

Hugo Martin = As it is a larger experience, the pacing has improved. Compared to The Ancient Gods, we adapt you to the challenge more effectively and then raise it to a higher difficulty than that. It's like a ramp going up.

For those who want more, by the time you reach the end-game, combat at a completely crazy level unfolds. And after you finish that, additional arenas and combat in the Ripatorium are unlocked, and that side is even more extreme. It will be a really satisfying experience.

Marty Stratton = I haven't emphasized it enough, but I recommend playing The Dark Ages main game before the DLC. This is because the DLC starts with all weapons equipped. If you are not familiar with the main game, it's really good to play it first. And although it contains high challenges for top-tier experts, the accessibility sliders and gameplay sliders are all there. You can adjust it exactly as you like, no matter what kind of combat you like.

When we said 'a tribute to all DOOM games,' it means it's aimed at a really wide range of people. There are so many people who enjoyed DOOM (2016) and Eternal. The numbers are surprising. This work is for everyone.

Hugo Martin = The feeling of adding movement tools on top of the heavy main game Slayer is excellent, so it will satisfy a wide range of modern DOOM fans. On top of that, the 1993-style classic elements contained in the levels are for fans of a different vein. There is something for every DOOM fan.

If I could ask for one thing, please don't turn up the sliders from the beginning. You can do whatever you want, but some people play for about 10 minutes and say 'it's not hard' and turn the sliders all the way up. Then, two hours later, they meet an Agaddon Hunter with a hammer and think the game is broken. In fact, it's probably because you turned the damage up 2x and the range to 140. You can do whatever you want, but I hope you leave the sliders as they are until you clear it once.