Doom The Dark Ages Aims to Redefine Sprinting as an Evolution, Not a Limitation

Doom: The Dark Ages will be available on Xbox on May 15, 2025. The Xbox Developer Direct 2025 stream announced the launch, and developer id Software was present to provide a detailed look at the game in action as well as information on some of the most significant modifications.

This game will narratively serve as a prequel to 2016’s installment. So, fans are getting nostalgic for sure. However, the game will have a feature that fans haven’t seen in the franchise for over two decades.

The sprint button, which hasn’t been used in the series since 2004, is present in Doom: The Dark Ages. The Dark Ages doesn’t sacrifice speed, in contrast to Doom 3, whose sprint option caused some controversy among series fans by slowing down the game’s overall tempo. Regarding the addition of the sprint button, this is what the creative director of the game, Hugo Martin, stated at Xbox Developer Direct:

We also have sprint in the game now. Your general walking speed is pretty fast. That’s what’s interesting – in many ways, the game is actually faster, but because it’s more grounded and the control scheme is streamlined, it doesn’t become more complex or overwhelming.

He also stated that the upcoming game will truly do proper justice to the franchise. Although it might feel like a different take on the series’ aesthetics but it’s actually “going back to the originals.” There will be a lot of new stuff like a complex control system, the shield saw, no multiplayer component, and much more.

Since 1993, the original Doom has been renowned for its blazingly quick basic movement. Doom 3 was the lone exception to this rule, as it substituted slower-paced horror vibes for blazing action.

The addition of a sprint button—complete with limited stamina that would cause you to run out of breath if you spent too much time running from monsters—was one aspect of that new focus. The Dark Ages appears to be approaching sprint in a very different way, viewing it as an extension of the series’ well-known speed rather than a restriction.

The Doom Slayer finds himself caught in a medieval conflict with the creatures of hell in The Dark Ages. Unlike its predecessors, the story will mostly take place in cutscenes, and it plays a far larger role than in previous games.

There won’t be any pressure on players to read item descriptions in order to learn more about the story’s lore; the cutscenes alone will be sufficient to fully comprehend and absorb the plot, which is something Judas developers aren’t fond of. As the game progresses, the narrative’s events will take players up to the start of the 2016 game, making it an ideal starting point for beginning players. The Doom Slayer is imprisoned in the game’s opening moments.

Combat in the Doom series is characterized by intense, heart-pounding battles. Doom: The Dark Ages will be no different, though its setting is expected to be more open and expansive than its predecessors. The player will visit a variety of worlds, such as dungeons, forests, and even enormous battlegrounds. There will be one feature from Space Marine 2: Warhammer 40K as well.

It’s interesting to note that the more linear parts of the game will be interspersed with some sizable sandbox-style areas. These larger regions are ripe for exploration, and players who venture off the usual route will find many rewards. Although the rewards themselves may differ, they are typically connected in some way to the character’s development, such as through the acquisition of new skills or abilities.