The text below was published on the game’s official website.

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This DOOM: The Dark Ages update adds the Ripatorium, an infinite arena mode that lets players configure their own battles across three unique arenas using a simple interface. It also includes two new DOOM Slayer skins (see unlock criteria below), a looping demonstration for PC Benchmark Mode, and several other improvements and bug fixes.

✨New Content

💢The Ripatorium

Includes a new Encounter Manager:

• Select demon type and spawn quantity

• Set a time limit for challenge runs or enable Infinite Mode

• Use enemy respawn counter to customize your experience

Includes 3 arenas:

• Arena 1 – City of Ry’uul

• Arena 2 – Khalim Village

• Arena 3 – Soul Harbor

Finally, a jukebox allowing track selection from DOOM: The Dark Ages for custom battles

👁‍🗨Benchmark Mode

Added Demo Mode allowing looping playlist sequences of benchmark scenes

👘New Cosmetic Customization

QuakeCon 2025 DOOM Slayer Skin free for limited time*

Unlock the Perfection DOOM Slayer Skin**

*Requires connecting your DOOM: The Dark Ages platform to Bethesda.net and playing between August 7 and September 1, 2025. Allow up to 48 hours for skin to appear in-game

** Complete one battle in each Ripatorium arena (3 total)

🛠Gameplay Updates and Improvements

🎭Difficulty Settings

Added new Max Life Seal difficulty slider, allowing customization of Life Seal capacity in campaign

New difficulty slider added for Atlan Perfect Dodge Window

• Adjusts timing for Perfect Dodge window activation during Atlan lunges

🎭Life Seal

Updated Life Seal activation flow timing for smoother experience

Added cue to Life Seal activation screen indicating which enemy type delivered the deathblow

Added new sound when player receives deathblow triggering Life Seal, plus new sound for Life Seal activation

🎛Additional Game Settings

New slo-mo slider and gameplay for shielding & melee added

• Allows player to adjust slo-mo duration during Shield parry or successful Slayer melee attacks

New “Weapon Class Style” gameplay setting added

Default [retains current weapon switching]

• Rapidly pressing Weapon Class command now cycles equipped weapons within given class

Double tap [NEW]

• Rapidly pressing Weapon Class command now cycles currently equipped weapon within class when available

🔊Audio

Global pass on combat music ensuring system triggers correctly for each encounter

🎯Gameplay

Added ability to interrupt Advance weapon activation and Shield Bash recovery animations earlier to perform block/parry

Melee prompt for ammo reload appears more frequently

🛡Weapons

Increased Weapon Swap animation speed

Ballista

Balance adjustments including:

• Reduced Ballista damage against Hell Knight and Diabolists

• Reduced Ballista damage against armored demons

• Increased headshot damage focus – higher headshot damage, lower body shot damage against various demons

• Shield Throws deflecting large demons no longer drop Ballista ammo when Resolute mod equipped

• Reduced Crucible charge gain from headshots with Lobotomy mod

Plasma Rifle Class

Reduced base ammo for Plasma Rifle Spooler

Adjusted ammo capacity increase value from Demon Essence upgrades

Reduced Plasma Rifle Spooler max ammo capacity

Super Shotgun

Reduced Super Shotgun damage against Hell Knight, Mancubus, Pinky Knight, and Cosmic Baron

Reduced Super Shotgun damage against armored demons

Can now interrupt Super Shotgun reload to perform executions

Trigger Gun

Reduced initial ammo capacity

Crucible

Executions with equipped Crucible now drop same ammo amount as other melee weapons. Non-execution Crucible attack ammo drops unchanged

Reduced Crucible AoE damage, increased direct hit damage to compensate

Parrying Surge Attack drops less Crucible ammo

Headshots with Lobotomy-enhanced Ballista drop less Crucible charge

Knuckleduster

Reduced charge gain from Duelist mod

Saw Shield

Removed cooldown when catching Shield Throw after previous throw action

Adjusted Saw Shield parry detection

🦾Atlan

Stomp

Adjusted Stomp to apply electric stun and shock state to enemies

Audio/SFX changes accompany this update

Against shocked enemies, Atlan punches faster

Tutorials updated to reflect new behavior

Encounter

Atlan Encounters updated for new Stomp behavior

🐲Dragon

Increased Empowered fire breath duration

Tutorial section projectile AI updated to include line attacks and remove hourglass projectile

Improved tutorial prompts for Assault Mode dash directions

New UI elements indicate Assault Mode activation and evade actions

Reduced projectile AI delay after target lock

Can now skip directly to Sacred City of Aratum if tutorials disabled

👿Enemy AI

Kreed Maykr fight now more challenging

Increased spear range for Prince Ahzrak

Ancient One Sky Slam damage radius now covers entire arena

Added VFX/SFX

Increased shockwave blast AoE damage for Komodo’s Graviton Arm

Reviewed AI logic events to ensure proper halt during pain reactions

Pinky bite attack updated with new animations, FX, and audio for clarity

Added health buffs to Cacodemon, Mancubus, and Armored Mancubus

Adjusted Heavy Soldier targeting acquisition, fire rate, and player responsiveness

Pinky Knight Leaders now fire shield projectiles instead of basic flames during Fire Wall attack

Increased Mancubus flamethrower damage

Increased Mancubus fireball speed and size

🗺 Levels

Hebeth

Checkpoint now appears upon reaching Plasma Accelerator collection point during Mission Select playthrough

Sentry Barracks

Checkpoint now appears upon reaching Spreader weapon collection point

Reckoning

Checkpoint added after Prince Ahzrak vs Witch intro fight animation

🐞Fixes

🆘Crashes

Fixed rare crash in Soul Harbor approaching Fortress Gate near Armored Mancubus on PC.

Fixed crash when attempting to load Update 1 Pandemonium save data.

Fixed crash during Nerathul Spire water drain animation.

Fixed rare crash during map loading screen transitioning from Nerathul Spire.

🎯Gameplay

✅Checkpoints

Players dying/reloading checkpoints after receiving Demon Essence upgrade no longer need to re-kill leader for upgrade. Also fixes map completion freezing at 99%.

Fixed issue causing new demons to spawn and progress block upon reloading checkpoint/death during Armored Servant arena.

🐾Traversal

Jump Pads: Several jump pads now properly activate launch SFX and propel player.

👁Visual

Fixed Camera FOV variation (90-91/92) causing incorrect grass rendering/disappearance, making ground appear to shimmer when firing weapons in some areas.

🎮PlayStation 5

Fixed rare crash on PlayStation 5 during final demon portal Slayer arena combat.

🏆Milestones

Fixed issue causing Frenzy Milestone to complete prematurely.

👿Enemy AI

Adjusted AI melee attacks to prevent damage bypassing player shield.

Reduced Battle Knight idle time between spawn and attacks.

Battle Knight: Fixed axe swings not consistently hitting player when other AI nearby.

Agaddon Hunter now plays death animations instead of immediately ragdolling.

Cacodemon shield now visually activates without invulnerability window.

Fixed Komodo taking area parry damage while shielded by leader minion.

Mancubus: Mancubus/Armored Mancubus now properly stop firing projectiles from severed arms.

Armored Mancubus: Parried projectiles no longer float midair if AI dies during flight.

Ancient One: Maul no longer disappears during attacks following Atlan Breaker use.

Fixed Infernal Portal projectiles not playing pain reaction SFX when hitting Dragon during delayed target lock.

Fixed Whiplashers not immediately staggering from stuck Saw Shield after crawling.

Warden buff visual effect now displays correctly on Cosmic Barons and Imps.

🛡Weapons

Fixed rare input lock after fully upgrading weapon.

Saw Shield

Shield Charge impact no longer triggers Glory Kill on nearby stunned enemies.

Shield Throw no longer briefly hangs after swapping to certain weapons and firing immediately.

Fixed AoE damage using expansion speed allowing multiple parries.

Super Shotgun

Fixed Super Shotgun reload preventing Shield Throw.

Plasma Accelerator

Overcharge impact VFX now red instead of blue.

Pulse weapon fire can no longer be loaded at half ammo cost.

Knuckleduster

Fixed Bis mod affecting default Knuckleduster charge replenish rate beyond intent.

Maul

Fixed Maul no longer causing heavy staggers after unlocking certain mods.

🦾Atlan

• Fixed Atlan becoming invincible after dodging left.
• Fixed Atlan Perfect Dodge window extending beyond Dodge action.

🗺Levels

Hebeth

Zombie fodder AI no longer stuck inside wall behind Plasma Accelerator collectible.

Sacred City of Aratum

Fixed rare issue where tutorial Assault Mode turret tanks split and fired at player.

Player no longer stuck in landing gear debris collision near Spooler collectible arena in sub-city landing zone.

Siege – Part 2

Servant no longer disappears after restarting checkpoint.

Player no longer respawns behind demon barrier by jumping near invisible area at bridge start to elevator room.

Armored near turret courtyard no longer idles when passing through door.

Abyssal Forest

Player no longer stuck between rocks/falls through world.

Hellbreaker

Fixed Hellbreaker Count Objective counting Hell Tanks.

Netherworld

Machine Room checkpoint properly places player at checkpoint instead of prior to incline.

Nerathul Spire

Slayer can now pass through water in multiple locations at flooded path secret area.

Scalable walls in BFB temple area now reflected in AutoMap.

Imp no longer spawns stuck against wall in flooded path secret area.

Marshlands of Kar’Thul

Small arena north of Sentinel Shrine now completes properly in AutoMap.

Temple of Lomarith

AutoMap now includes boss fight icon at shipwreck arena.

Player can no longer shoot metal node from ground floor to skip Cosmic Maw water tunnel in shipwreck arena.

Resurrection

Cavern rocks on path to Kreed Maykr ship now move properly after reloading checkpoint.

Added delay before Kreed Maykr uses laser attack after staggering/knockback interruption.

Final Battle

Armored in turret courtyard no longer idles when passing through door.

Reckoning

Cosmic Baron in Frenzy collectible room before Prince Ahzrak fight can now pass through archways.

The Witch now displays stagger circle after being staggered.

🏭Engine

Implemented VRS/VRCS for PC, matching console functionality.

Fixed visible banding on water surface in some cases.

🎥Animations

Khalim Village: Intro text no longer flashes during gameplay when skipping cinematic.

Barrier Core: Skipping power core interaction no longer leaves ship door and lighting/smoke VFX persistent in-game.

Sacred City of Aratum: Explosion SFX during transition animations not interrupted with tutorials off.

Fixed hold-to-skip-prompt appearing before skip instruction.

Siege – Part 1: Holding spacebar while scaling wall at level end no longer skips animation.

🎰User Interface

Bethesda.net: 20-character password limit no longer blocks account linking.

Sacred City of Aratum: Active Dragon evade tutorial no longer overlaps passive Assault Mode tutorial.

Adjusting “Empowered Attacks” modifier now correctly tags save files with [*M].

Benchmark Mode: Updated Abyssal Forest screenshot.

Plasma Accelerator: Overcharge: Dual charge bars no longer merge and reduce charge value before resetting.

Settings – Shield & Melee Slo-mo: Removed extra ragdoll impulse after executing demon when disabled.

🔊Audio

Grenade Launcher: Rapid-fire explosion SFX no longer distorted.

Atlan low health audio no longer plays near 350 health.

Updated Rage Imp immolation SFX.

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