You’ve just released one of the most popular games of the year, which has ripped and torn through the sales charts with wreckless abandon. Millions have played your game, the core campaign lasted a chunky number of hours and there was a neat multiplayer experience attached to the product once the end credits had rolled. Factor in an arsenal of collectibles that were worth pursuing, and DOOM Eternal hit multiple nails on the head.
So that means that the expansion should sell a demonic amount, right? Maybe! No matter how popular a game is, there’s always go to be some apprehension from the established fanbase towards throwing more coin at an extra slice of the product. Id Software knows this, and to combat against potential diminishing returns on DOOM Eternal, the studio is taking a novel approach to how The Ancient Gods DLC will be released: You won’t need to own DOOM Eternal if you want to play it, as it’ll be available as a standalone game.
“When we look at how many people have played through the game we have a large percentage – higher than 2016 – that have completed it, so you’re always looking at that and seeing how far players make it through your game,” Doom Eternal’s executive producer, Marty Stratton, said to PCGamesN.
It’s important as we want the DLC to reach as many people as possible. In fact, you don’t even need to own Doom Eternal to buy the DLC and play it.
That’s a more flexible path for Id Software to take, one that allows anyone interested in what’s shaping up to be a massive slice of content, to have fewer barriers to entry in front of them. The Ancient Gods is the first of two campaign DLCs, that was announced back at QuakeCon 2020 not too long ago. It’ll be revving up its chainsaw on October 20, as the Doomslayer decides to clean up all the demonic scum that has begun infesting the heavens lately.
Last Updated: August 31, 2020
