Doom: The Dark Ages gets endless Slaughter Mode, but only for Revelations owners
In short
id Software game director Hugo Martin announced a new “Slaughter Mode” for Doom: The Dark Ages during a livestream on the studio's official YouTube channel. The mode is an endless single-player fight through increasingly difficult waves of enemies and bosses, with cosmetic rewards, and is due in November as a free update for buyers of the Revelations expansion. Martin said the mode is one of two current projects at id Software.
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id Software announced a new mode for Doom: The Dark Ages called “Slaughter Mode”. Game director Hugo Martin presented it during a livestream on the studio's official YouTube channel, 3DNews and StopGame reported. The mode will be released as a free update in November, but according to 3DNews it will be available only to buyers of the story expansion Revelations. DTF, which reported the news in a single line, described it as a free update for Revelations without mentioning any restriction. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Slaughter Mode is a single-player mode in which the player fights through increasingly difficult waves of random enemies and bosses on various arenas. Progress is divided into rounds and can continue indefinitely, according to 3DNews. Because the mode is single-player, no leaderboards are planned, though players will be able to track their best score; weekly challenges and cosmetic rewards are promised. StopGame likewise reported that the mode is an endless fight against waves of demons on several arenas, with cosmetic items as rewards. [ 1 , 3 ]
Martin said Slaughter Mode is one of two current projects at id Software, 3DNews reported. The same report cited The Verge senior editor Tom Warren as saying the studio is in the early stages of production on a new Doom. StopGame said the Revelations expansion adds new locations, enemy types and a weapon, the chain spear, as well as a “Порваторий 3.0” mode with three new maps and a fully upgraded new weapon. [ 1 , 3 ]
Doom: The Dark Ages was released on 15 May 2025 for PC, on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, and in the Game Pass subscription, 3DNews reported, listing Steam and the Microsoft Store as the PC storefronts; StopGame listed Steam and Battle.net. The July release of Revelations was marked by mass layoffs at id Software, according to 3DNews, which attributed that account to the Xbox leadership. StopGame noted that the base game and the expansion are currently discounted by 50 and 30 percent respectively in Valve's autumn sale, and that the launch date of the Slaughter Mode update is unknown. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The new mode is attached to the paid Revelations expansion rather than the base game, so access depends on owning that add-on. The announcement is also a sign of continued support for the title after the July release of Revelations was marked by mass layoffs at id Software, as reported by 3DNews. A single report of a further Doom game in early production, if accurate, points to the studio still working on the franchise.
Key facts
- Game director Hugo Martin announced Slaughter Mode during a livestream on id Software's official YouTube channel. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Slaughter Mode is a single-player mode in which players fight increasingly difficult waves of random enemies and bosses across several arenas, in rounds that can continue indefinitely. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The update is due in November and is free, but only for buyers of the Revelations story expansion. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Because the mode is single-player, there are no leaderboards; players can track their own best score, and weekly challenges and cosmetic rewards are promised. [ 1 ]
- Martin said Slaughter Mode is one of two current projects at id Software. [ 1 ]
- Doom: The Dark Ages was released on 15 May 2025 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and in the Game Pass subscription. [ 1 ]
- The July release of Revelations was marked by mass layoffs at id Software, according to the Xbox leadership cited by 3DNews. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Game director Hugo Martin announced Slaughter Mode during a livestream on the studio's official YouTube channel. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Slaughter Mode is a single-player mode built around increasingly difficult waves of enemies and bosses on multiple arenas. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The rewards in the mode are cosmetic. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The exact release date of the Slaughter Mode update 3DNews says it will arrive at some point in November, while StopGame says the launch date of the update is unknown.
- Who will be able to play Slaughter Mode 3DNews states it is only for buyers of the Revelations expansion, while DTF describes it as a free update for Revelations without mentioning any restriction.
- Whether a new Doom game is in production This rests on a single source: The Verge senior editor Tom Warren, cited by 3DNews, and has not been confirmed by id Software.
- The update is free for owners of the Revelations expansion. Reported by a single source so far