Doom Eternal pushed to March 2020 – CNET

After a triumphant return with 2016’s Doom, id Software’s iconic series is back with Doom Eternal. Originally planned for a November release, the developer delayed the latest entry in the Doom franchise to March 2020. 

Id Software announced the Doom Eternal delay to March 20, 2020, on Tuesday via Twitter. The developer originally planned for a Nov. 22 release first revealed at E3 2019.

“To make sure we’re delivering the best experience — for DOOM Eternal to live up to our standards of speed and polish — we’ve made the decision to extend our launch date by a few months to March 20, 2020,” the developer tweeted.  

Along with news of the delay, id Software said the Switch release for Doom Eternal will come sometime after the game launches on PS4, PC and Xbox One. Invasion Mode, a multiplayer mode that lets players play as a demon in other player’s games, will also come after the game’s release. 

As a bit of a consolation for Doom fans, Doom 64 will release the same day as Doom Eternal. ID Software released Doom, Doom II and Doom 3 earlier this year for consoles. 

First revealed at Bethesda’s 2018 E3 press conference, the gory, fast-paced, heavy-metal-blaring first-person shooter sequel will put players back in the role of the Doom Slayer, the hero from the original game who was revived to take on the forces of hell. This time around, demons have made their way to Earth, and it’s up to Doom Slayer to save the world once again.

What’s new in hell

Members of the id Software team showed off Doom Eternal’s gameplay for the first time at QuakeCon 2018 in August. For the most part, it looks to be the same as Doom 2016. Players will have to blast their way through waves of demons using a wide range of weapons and leaving a trail of carnage in their wake.  

There were, however, some new additions to the game shown in the QuakeCon video. There’ll be a multiplayer mode that lets players fight against player-controlled demons creating asymmetric multiplayer gameplay. That’s when a team of players takes on one powerful opponent. In this case, the demons would be outgunned by Doomguy. 

Id also added an old-school element to Doom Eternal by giving players extra lives, according to a VG247 interview with executive producer Marty Stratton. Players will obtain an extra life that’ll be used when a character dies to avoid returning to a previous checkpoint. Stratton says this new addition will help when a player’s game is invaded by experienced opponents controlling the demons.

At QuakeCon 2019, the id team showed off a new demon called the Doom Hunter. The monster has its own chainsaw and rocket launcher making it a formidable opponent for the Doom Slayer. 

Get ready for Battlemode

Bethesda’s E3 2019 press conference expanded on the multiplayer mode, now officially called “Battlemode.” 

Two players will take the role of demons and go up against one player controlling the Doom Slayer. The demon team will be outgunned, so strategy will be the key to winning a match. The different demons have their own strengths, such as being able to fly or summoning other monsters to help. As Doomguy, it’ll take skill to contend with the player-controlled demons and all the tricks up their sleeves. 

QuakeCon 2019’s “Year of Doom” keynote on July 26 provided more Battlemode details, including new demons to play with. Players can pick the Revenant that can hover around the arena and fire rockets at the Doom Slayer and even unleash powerful rocket barrage. The Pain Elemental flies and has its own Soul Shield to defend itself. Then there’s the Mancubus that has a lot of firepower with dual rocket launchers and flamethrowers but can’t move very fast. 

Demons will also have access hazards, which are damage-dealing spots on the ground, and AI-controlled demons. These two will help develop a strategy to take on the Slayer. 

Speaking of the Slayer, he will have access to all the weapons and equipment found in the game. There are also jump pads and monkey bars that will let him traverse the arena faster and evade the demons. Two portals are on the map that only the Slayer can use to help escape or sneak up on enemies, but the other team can use the portals to set a trap. 

A team wins when either the Doom Slayer or both demons are dead. For the demon team, when one teammate dies, they will have to wait 20 seconds before respawning with half health. This may not seem like a long time, but one demon is no match for a solo battle against the Slayer. 

Winning a round gives a team upgrades for the next fight. This could be more health or faster movement. The demon team can also upgrade what monsters they could summon including the tough Baron of Hell ,while the Doom Slayer will get even better equipment such as the BFG. After the game’s launch, id will continue to release new playable demons and maps for free. 

To close out the keynote, two more demons were shown: Arch-Vile and Marauder. The Arch-Vile can set the ground on fire to damage the Slayer while being able to teleport a short distance. The Marauder is a new demon debuting in Doom Eternal and made a brief appearance in the video.  

A heavenly touch

Also shown during the E3 press conference was a new trailer for the game that didn’t offer much in regard to content. nstead gave fans a little bit more of the sequel’s plot, such as the fact that Doomguy will also make his way to Heaven. 

In the trailer, a voice warns that if the Doom Slayer continues with his mission, he’ll “bring down Heaven’s wrath.” There’s also a shot of what looks like an armored angel. The trailer is still vague on the detail of the storyline.

Hook ’em

Doomguy’s arsenal will consist of weapons from the previous game, such as the chaingun, rocket launcher and shotgun, but there will be a few new toys in Doom Eternal.

One weapon from the early Doom games that’s returning is the Super Shotgun. The double-barreled weapon will deal a ton of damage, but more importantly, it has a grappling hook attachment called the Meat Hook, which lets players grab onto enemies from a distance and pull Doomguy to the attached monster. There’s also a new Ballista weapon that shoots out crossbow bolts that can explode.

The Slayer also got some equipment upgrades, including a new blade attached to his wrist used for Glory Kills. He also has a shoulder-mounted launcher that can act like a mini-flamethrower.

Where the hell to get this game

Doom Eternal will be released on March 20, 2020, for PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and on PC via Steam and Bethesda’s game launcher. The Nintendo Switch version will release sometime after. 

Originally published June 7 and updated regularly when new information is released.