Doom: The Dark Ages will release simultaneously for PS5 and Xbox Series X when it lands in May, because the director told Phil Spencer he "wanted to sell it on all platforms"

Doom: The Dark Ages screenshot — (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Xbox has set a Doom: The Dark Ages release date for May 15, 2025. The launch was confirmed during the Xbox Developer Direct 2025 stream, where developer id Software was on-hand with an expansive look at the game in action and the details on some of the biggest changes.

The multi-platform release means that the long-awaited sequel to 2020's Doom Eternal will be one of the first titles from an internal Xbox studio to launch simultaneously for Xbox Series X and PS5, alongside PC and entrance into Game Pass. This is all part of Microsoft's emerging strategy to launch its titles on rival platforms – with Grounded, Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, and Pentiment making the jump last year.

Where Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal were focused on an unrelenting push-forward approach to combat, Doom: The Dark Ages is built around the concept of stand and fight – wielding a mediaeval arsenal to battle against bigger hordes of marauding demons than ever before. There's wider playspaces, more reactive Glory kills, a suite of new weapons, and the ability to parry monstrous foes with a shield that doubles as a chainsaw… you know, everything you want from a new Doom game.

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The decision to simultaneously launch Doom: The Dark Ages on Xbox and PlayStation – rather than stagger the launch, as we're seeing with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5 (scheduled to land at some point in 2025) – was confirmed at the Xbox Showcase in 2024. At the time, Xbox head Phil Spencer told IGN: "Doom is definitely one of those franchises that has a history of so many platforms… It’s a franchise that I think everyone deserves to play. When I was in a meeting with [Marty Stratton, id Software studio director] a couple years ago, I asked Marty what he wanted to do, and he said he wanted to sell it on all platforms. Simple as that."

Looking for something to play while you wait? Check out one of the best FPS games, many of which are some of the best games on Game Pass right now.

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Josh West is Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 18 years of experience in both online and print journalism, and was awarded a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Josh has contributed to world-leading gaming, entertainment, tech, music, and comics brands, including games™, Edge, Retro Gamer, SFX, 3D Artist, Metal Hammer, and Newsarama. In addition, Josh has edited and written books for Hachette and Scholastic, and worked across the Future Games Show as an Assistant Producer. He specializes in video games and entertainment coverage, and has provided expert comment for outlets like the BBC and ITV. In his spare time, Josh likes to play FPS games and RPGs, practice the bass guitar, and reminisce about the film and TV sets he worked on as a child actor.