Here’s a bloody good look at how Battlemode will work in DOOM Eternal

2016’s DOOM may have scratched every itch that players had when it came to relentless and speedy demon executions, but its multiplayer mode? Some people (Just me) loved it, others would have rather spent their time hammering knives into their toes instead. While I kind of did appreciate how DOOM had shades of Quake 3 Arena within its DNA, fans wanted something more.

Something far more brutal, bloody and demonic. DOOM Eternal’s Battlemode may be the answer to that bloodlust, as QuakeCon revealed a lot more on the mode that Bethesda wants to use to give the upcoming sequel a little of the ol’ live service flavour after launch. Here’s some video for it:

If you can’t see the video above because your boss is a buzzkill who thinks that the Jenkins account needs to be finished by noon and takes precedence over your desire to see digital demons horribly mutilated by a rage machine super-soldier (Boo! Boo on them!), here’s what you need to know. Battlemode is an asymmetrical PvPvE multiplayer game, where two players take on a single opponent. Those two players take on the role of demons, whereas the other player steps into the blood-encrusted boots of the DOOM Slayer himself.

To win, either the Slayer or both demons must die before the other can respawn. The catch here is that players taking on the role of demon will respawn within 20 seconds if they get murderised, but at half health. Demon players have five demonic options to play as at launch alongside their own unique skills, which include the following creatures so far:

• Revenant
• Pain Elemental
• Mancubus
• Archvile
• Marauder

Demons can also summon an AI horde of cannon fodder, place environmental hazards in a map and put the breaks on the Slayer’s ability to grab some health from glory kills. The Slayer on the other hand, is a meat tank of rage and fury. He’ll be able to hop around a level with far greater agility so that he can chase down players, has access to all of his weapons and traversal gear.

The idea then, is for players to emphasise teamwork while they engage the Slayer as demons, whereas Slayer players can lone wolf their way to victory with death and destruction that requires pinpoint precision and instinctual viciousness on their part. It sounds delightful, I want it now and I think I want to marry this mode. The creme de la creme of Battlemode is a race for players to grab one of two ultimate power-ups within a match: That big freakin’ gun for the Slayer, or the Baron of Hell summon for demons.

Few games have managed to nail the idea of PvPvE over the last couple of years, but provided that DOOM Eternal can offer some solid balance and matchmaking options, Battlemode may just be one of those rare exceptions to the rule when it arrives on 22 November.

Last Updated: July 29, 2019