As DOOM: The Dark Ages drops later this year, expect a whole new level of player customization.
The game will include sliders for players to adjust their experience. While this level of customization might seem like a non-issue, some corners of the internet have latched onto it as another so-called “woke” controversy, even going so far as to mockingly call the game DOOM: The Woke Ages.
In a recent video posted by the official DOOM account on X, game director Hugo Martin directly addressed the accusations and made it clear he doesn’t buy into the backlash. “DOOM: The Woke Ages… I've heard about this. I've seen the videos. Well, here's the thing about this. First of all, I don't agree with that,” Martin stated.
He explained that the idea behind the difficulty sliders is easy: to make sure the game works for both pros and newcomers. “The policy was it has to be good both for the white belts and the black belts. If we're going to allow you to slow the game down, we have to enable you to speed the game up. And that was a really good policy for everything.”
Martin made it clear that it isn’t about making the game easier for some but about giving every player more control. The customization features in DOOM: The Dark Ages extend past simple difficulty adjustments. They also allow players to tweak aspects like enemy projectile speed and damage output. Martin compared the system to a radio equalizer, giving players the tools to shape their ideal DOOM experience.
Some combinations of these settings might actually make the game harder rather than easier.
“What we see with the sliders from our best players in the office is that they do a lot of surprising things. You would think it's just crank everything up, but that's actually not the case. Like one of our players, Mikey and Travis, they like to slow down the projectiles, but then make them lethal."
"It really enhances that three-dimensional shmup, you know that bullethell experience that is kind of what classic DOOM is. Classic DOOM is a three-dimensional bullethell, weaving between these slow-moving projectiles that hit really hard. And that’s what creates the maze, and that’s what encourages the player to move, is really the projectiles. And that’s what we focused on for this game,” he explained.
These mechanics are all about adding replayability and variety, not pushing any specific agenda. Despite the backlash, many players have defended the new options, arguing that the ability to customize difficulty doesn’t diminish the challenge for those who want it.
Hugo Martin and the team at id Software aren’t backing down from their vision.
The game will be released on May 15th, and players will be able to decide for themselves whether these features enhance or detract from their experience.
Until then, the so-called “woke” controversy is little more than noise from the usual corners of the internet.