DOOM: The Dark Ages’ upcoming DLC is being described as "basically like a sequel" by game director Hugo Martin. Here’s what was revealed during the latest Slayers Club Livestream.
DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Revealed as Massive Expansion
Director Says It Feels Like a Full Sequel
DOOM: The Dark Ages’ upcoming DLC is described by Hugo Martin during a Slayers Club Livestream last week as a "massive" expansion. Acknowledging that players have been waiting since the main game’s release, he added, "Just know that it’s freaking huge. It’s basically like a sequel."
He also suggested that the DLC will play very differently from the base game. While streaming the main campaign, he compared it to what he has been playing in development, saying, "The DLC is nothing like this… What I’ve been playing, I haven’t been playing like this."
When asked about a teaser trailer, Martin replied that it is still "a little ways out," with no release date announced for the DLC.
Martin said the DLC has a "very high skill ceiling," explaining that mastering one of the new tools will take significant time and investment, though he did not specify which tool he was referring to. He noted that once players unlock its full potential, it can transform how fights play out, especially when combined with other tools. In DOOM: The Dark Ages, these tools refer to the Slayer’s weapons and combat abilities, such as his guns and shield attacks. He described the result as "fantastic" and "really, really fun."
The DLC will also feature what Martin described as a "big Metroidvania-esque" loop, built around a central hub filled with "lots of secrets." After completing the main path, players will retraverse previously explored spaces, unlocking new tools that allow them to access content they may have initially missed, which he referred to as "endgame content."
As for the DLC’s story, Martin acknowledged that it is not the primary reason many players come to the series. Even so, he added that the team is "pretty proud" of the direction the expansion takes. Describing their motto as "feel it, don’t watch it," Martin said the team is placing greater emphasis on environmental storytelling to make the story "more of an experience… rather than something that you watch."
Martin also previously teased that the DLC will advance the series’ lore. Avoiding specifics, he said the team plans to give players more chapters of the Slayer’s history. The Slayer is the franchise’s central protagonist, and much of his past has only been referenced in codex entries—the in-game lore logs found in previous entries such as DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal. He added that the expansion will take steps toward the events of DOOM (2016), noting that The Dark Ages serves as a prequel.
He further confirmed the return of more meaningful Slayer Gates, optional high-difficulty combat arenas first introduced in DOOM Eternal, where completing them rewarded players with special Empyrean Keys used to unlock a secret weapon. "When you go in there, expect to die like seven times," he said.
Developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, DOOM: The Dark Ages launched in 2025 as the studio’s biggest release to date, reaching three million players shortly after launch. Since release, the game has received post-launch updates, including Ripatorium 2.0, an expanded arena mode that allows players to revisit and experiment with high-intensity enemy encounters outside the main story. Martin confirmed that the next Ripatorium update will be released alongside the upcoming DLC expansion.
For more on DOOM: The Dark Ages, check our article below.
Source:
Slayers Club Live | DOOM: The Dark Ages | w/ Hugo Martin - Ch. 21 Challenge of Bajookie + Witchfire!
Slayers Club Live | DOOM: The Dark Ages | w/ Hugo Martin - Ch. 19 Arachnophobia +Codename Corrosive!
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