Summary
One of the more interesting details that emerged from the massive Xbox leak that reportedly happened because of a filing error is the existence of a new game in theDoomfranchise. The 2016 reboot of the series andits sequelDoom Eternalhave gone over quite well with fans and critics, many of whom will be curious about what has actually been made known about the next entry into the series.
The next game in theDoomfranchise has a lofty reputationto uphold, and is potentially an ace in the hole for Microsoft. The leak may be unwelcome for Xbox, but it is exciting news forDoomfans. With all that said, the information is from internal company documents from 2022, so it may not be accurate.
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The Title Is Doom Year Zero
The title ofthe nextDoomgame is reportedlyDoom Year Zero.The title may have changed at some point, but it seems that Xbox is set on the name. This doesn’t reveal much about the game itself, but it is probably a safe bet that it will be a direct sequel toDoom Eternal.
The nameYear Zerocould represent a plot point. Perhaps the Slayer is woken up in far in the future whereYear Zerorefers to the year that the gates of hell are opened after some divine timer or counter has run out.In previousDoomgames, demonic invasions were instigated by humans, soYear Zeromight be uninitiated on the part of the humans. This is all pure speculation;Year Zerocould mean anything.
Doom Year Zero Release Window
Doom Year Zerodoes not have a release date but it is possible to make an educated guess about its release window. According to the leaked Xbox documents, it is planned for release around two years afterStarfield. WhetherStarfieldgetting delayed affects its release date is hard to say for certain, so it could be ready some time in 2024, sinceStarfieldwas initially set for a late 2022 launch.
Delays in the development ofDoom Year Zerocannot be ruled out. It could only arrive in 2025 or possibly even later, so fans are advised to be patient. The only other big gamesXbox has lined up beforeDoom Year Zeroare supposedlyOblivion RemasteredandIndiana Jones. TheOblivionremaster has not been officially announced yet, andIndiana Jonesdoesn’t have a release date yet, but 2025 might be a safe bet.
Two Years of DLC for Doom Year Zero
Unless plans have changed, it appears thatDoom Year Zerowill have get DLC over 2 years. One DLC will arrive in the same financial year as the game, while the other is slated for the following year. If the DLC is anything like The Ancient Gods DLC ofDoom Eternal, it could be a second campaign divided over 2 parts that continues the Slayer’s bloodsoaked journey.
The 2016Doomrebootdid not have DLC, so it cannot be used to establish whether there is a pattern here. TheYear ZeroDLC could be two entirely separate campaigns. Again, one can only speculate, but it is nice to know thatDoom Year Zerowill be supported by some new content.
DOOM Year Zero Platforms
It is not known at this stage exactly what platformsDoom Year Zerowill be releasing on, but at the very least it will presumably be released on PC and Xbox. A PlayStation 5 version is not off the table, but with Xbox’s lack of exclusive first party games coming out in the near future, it seems unlikely. It might be a timed exclusive if it is not entirely exclusive to Xbox platforms.
Doom Year Zerois rumored to be in development.
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