Summary
As QuakeCon begins,DOOMfans have plenty to look forward to. Aside from the general hype for the next mainline release,DOOM: The Dark Ages, which was announced at the June 2024 Xbox Showcase and will be launching sometime next year, featuring the Doom Slayer in a medieval-type setting equipped with an array of weapons that introduce more modern advancements to this era, id Software alsoannounced updated versions ofDOOMandDOOM 2with expanded multiplayer support, a completely new official story episode with new weapons and demons, and a newly-updated soundtrack. However, as hyped as I am to jump back in and play these new versions of the games, the announcement that has really caught my eye involves 2020’sDOOM Eternal.
DOOM Eternal’s story picked up 16 years after the events of the 2016 sequel-reboot,DOOM, and saw the Doom Slayer return once again, this time in a bid to save Earth after it had become overrun by demons and transformed into a truly hellish landscape. The game featured both returning and new monsters to destroy with impressive reimaginings of their designs that were familiar while also suited to the rebooted series' graphics and visual style. It also featured the fast-paced, brutal gameplay fans expected from the series, with enough new enhancements to weapons and general gunplay to make it feel like an evolution rather than a rehash.
It’s safe to say that whenDOOM Eternallaunched toward the start of a global pandemic-induced lockdown in March 2020, I sunk way too much time into it and Mick Gordon’s soundtrack - albeit the version on YouTube, because the official soundtrack release didn’t turn out too great - was also on constant rotation. I then dropped back in to check in on the game’stwo-part story DLC,The Ancient Gods,after its second part launched in 2021 and after the way it ended, I felt it wrapped things up nicely and haven’t returned to the game much since.
DOOM Eternal’s Latest Update Is Definitely Going To Make Me Dive Back In
Finally, DOOM Eternal Is Getting Official Mod Support
This will all be changing very soon, as a new post from id Software on theSlayers Clubsite announced that the company has released a public beta of idStudio for creators and an opt-in PC mod preview for players to easily browse and play mods as part of the game’s Update 6.66 Rev 3 patch. Currently, this is only available on Steam, following on from a launch executable file, DOOMModePortal.exe, and a description “launch mod portal” being uploaded on Steam’s backend, making reference to the feature back in March 2024. This was picked up by the community based onSteamDBdata, who have been eagerly anticipating it since.
Fans have been long awaiting official mod support from back beforeDOOM Eternal’s launch, however. In a 2019 interview with the now-closedGame Informer(a quote of which has been retained byPCGamesN) the game’s producer Marty Stratton said id Software was looking at proper mod support, stating “We’ve actually done things technically that are getting us closer to doing mod support, but it won’t be immediate.”
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I Can’t Wait To See What The DOOM Modding Community Brings To The Game With These Official Tools
Unleash Hell
I’ve long been fascinated by the modding community’s creativity in general, as anyone who has looked at my other articles forScreen Rantcan probably tell, as many of them are comprised of mods for games that I think l are incredibly cool. What modders have done inDOOM Eternalover the past 4 years without access to the official modding tools has been impressive enough, withthe community even creating an epic Horde mode mod called “Enter the Horde"before id Software added its own official versionin October 2021.
Despite having dabbled in game development with Unity and Unreal Engine in the past, I am certainly no modder myself - having ultimately decided to stick mainly to writing stories rather than coding - and I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable tinkering with someone else’s work, so while I probably won’t get hands-on with these official modding tools myself, I can’t wait to see what the community thinks up with them and booting them up through the new portal.
DOOM Eternal’s engine has so much potential, so it will be interesting to see how the modding community will fully tap into it without being restricted or finding workarounds. From new hellish enemy types to even more powerful and destructive weapons, the possibilities are endless… And then, of course, there’s the obligatory andsomewhat inevitable Thomas the Tank Engine modthat will probably result in a delightfully chaotic boss battle of some kind.
Hopefully, with an official release, much like Bethesda’s Creation support for titles such asThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim,Fallout 4,andmost recently,Starfield,there’s also a stronger likelihood that these mods will be officially supported for far longer, extending the game’s longevity for many more years to come.After all, the originalDOOM- which is often credited withshaping the FPS genre in generalalongsideWolfensteinback in the early 90s - has still seen mods decades after its original launch and still proves to be extremely popular among fans, so it’s possible these new updates could seeDOOM Eternalsticking around for just as long.
Sources:Slayers Club,SteamDB,PCGamesN
DOOM Eternal
In DOOM Eternal, the follow-up to the 2016 entry, players once again step into the Praetor suit and assume the role of the Doomslayer. After being trapped in hell and forced to battle his way back to Earth, the Doomslayer has returned to see that Hell has completely invaded it. Players will utilize new high-speed dashing, grappling, and other mobility mechanics as they rip and tear their way through the denizens of hell to take back the planet. DOOM Eternal’s story was continued in a two-part expansion pack called The Ancient Gods.
