Doom: The Dark Ages lags behind Doom Eternal Steam player count at launch, with price a concern
The Doom: The Dark Ages launch seemed promising after more than respectable review scores. However, so far, the critical acclaim isn't translating into a high Steam player count. The latest id Software shooter is struggling to match the launch numbers of the 2020 Doom Eternal. Its performance may recover as the weekend arrives. Still, several factors could be limiting Doom: The Dark Ages sales.
After early access, the game became playable for all audiences on May 15th, the official Doom: The Dark Ages release date. However, gamers in some time zones could boot the title on the night of May 14th. With more than 24 hours of data to analyze, the peak Steam player count is 30,812. For comparison, Doom Eternal had already accumulated 104,891 players by this point. Meanwhile, debuting in 2016, the Doom reboot all-time high mark stands at 44,271.
Doom Eternal unlocked on a Friday, which gave it momentum to carry into the weekend. Doom: The Dark Ages may see stronger participation in the following days. Nevertheless, the newer game faces obstacles its predecessor did not. The most obvious difference is price: the Doom Eternal Standard Edition only cost $39.99 at release. The cheapest Doom: The Dark Ages option is a much pricier $69.99. Gamers outside the U.S., including buyers in the UK, are paying far more than the typical PC title.
Unlike the latest first-person shooter, Doom Eternal was also not a day-one Xbox Game Pass title. $69.99 may be a difficult proposition for a single-player campaign that slayers can rush through in 12 hours. There are no signs of any multiplayer mode on the horizon. Replay value is critical, since gamers can access many AAA titles on Game Pass for a lower monthly fee.
Like media reviews, Very Positive Steam ratings are not holding the new Doom back. Fairly high Doom: The Dark Ages PC system requirements may also be another roadblock. Most players who own the game enjoy it, but convincing the masses to purchase it is proving challenging.
Notebookcheck has posted its full Doom: The Dark Ages review. Also, there is a video with laptop performance and gameplay impressions below:
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