Doom: The Dark Ages bets big by dropping multiplayer, a staple of the series since the ’90s.
Unlike the multiplayer modes of Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal, this installment puts all its effort into a solo campaign. id Software plainly said they intended to invest all their development time into the single-player game.
Even with its cinematic fights and rhythm-like parry system in a slower-paced campaign, the missing multiplayer leaves a gap. Still, that gap unintentionally led to something else: two brand-new gameplay systems that practically beg to be multiplayer modes in disguise.
First up is the Atlan, a giant mech that the Slayer pilots in select missions. These parts are loud and destructive, and they change the game from a fast arena shooter to a monster brawler. You stomp through ruins, swing massive fists, and go toe-to-toe with equally massive demons in what feels like a Doom-flavored kaiju battle.
Though made for single-player, it feels like the foundation of a full PvP or co-op mode. The scale, animations, and pacing are already in place—if id ever added multiple Atlans in one arena, it’d practically be a mech-based fighter on its own.
Then there are the dragon-riding parts where, during the campaign, the Slayer takes control of a cybernetic dragon and flies through fiery skies, blasting enemies in fast-paced, on-rails action. Just as with the mech battles, they reveal untapped potential.
Players can easily picture themselves battling in the air, flying their dragons over large maps while avoiding attacks and firing flames. A little more freedom and a solid competitive setup could make this one of the most unique multiplayer experiences in the genre.
The irony is that these two systems shine exactly because they weren’t meant for multiplayer. They don’t feel slapped on or watered down. They feel deliberate, polished, and thoroughly planned. They’re designed to boost the single-player flow, while also suggesting what Doom’s multiplayer might look like if it pushed past its origins.
These parts don’t just copy arena deathmatch or wave co-op, but bring something fresh, bigger, and way more exciting. Not everyone is happy with the direction of The Dark Ages. Some longtime fans think it’s too slow, too cinematic, and too far from the fast-paced chaos that made the earlier games stand out.
Others miss the bite of Mick Gordon’s soundtrack or the freedom of old-school mod tools like SnapMap. But even those criticisms often come with a caveat: the Atlan and dragon segments are cool. They’re fun and could’ve been something more.
So while Doom: The Dark Ages may not ship with multiplayer, it accidentally does something more important—it reimagines what multiplayer could look like. That alone might make it one of the most forward-thinking entries in the entire franchise.
It’s unclear if id Software will build on this later, but for now, these two unexpected modes show that removing something can open the door to improvements.