Highlights

  • id Software wanted Doom: The Dark Ages to be a day-one multi-platform release.
  • Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer labeled that as at least part of the reason why the next Doom game won't be an Xbox console exclusive.
  • Some fans have expressed skepticism about whether id Software's input truly had significant bearing on the decision to make Doom: The Dark Ages a multi-platform release.

Part of the reason why Doom: The Dark Ages is coming to the PlayStation 5 is because id Software asked for that to happen, a senior Xbox official has said. And while this statement appears to offer some insight into the inner workings of Microsoft's gaming division, it has also raised some questions about the company's publishing practices beyond the Doom: The Dark Ages fandom.

The latest entry in the long-running series of first-person shooters has been in active development since August 2022, following a year-long period of pre-production. Doom: The Dark Ages received an official announcement two years later, as part of the June 9 Xbox Games Showcase. Its first trailer surprised some fans with the reveal that the shooter will have a same-day release on not just the Xbox Series X/S and PC, but also the PS5.

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id Software Wanted Doom: The Dark Ages To Be a Multi-Platform Release

Asked about the reason for bringing such a big-budget first-party game to a rival platform on day one, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said that Doom is a franchise that he believes "everyone deserves to play," not least because of its history of multi-platform releases, underlined by the fact that the original installment is one of the most ported games of all time. More to the point, id Software Studio Director Marty Stratton also expressed an explicit desire to bring the next series entry to as many people as possible during a meeting that Spencer says happened several years back. "I asked Marty what he wanted to do, and he said he wanted to sell it on all platforms; simple as that," Spencer told IGN.

Looking at the social media reactions to the June 9 Xbox Games Showcase, the decision to make Doom: The Dark Ages a multi-platform release was met with fairly widespread approval from PlayStation users. But Spencer's commentary on the reasoning behind that move also raised new questions among fans.

I asked [id Software Studio Director] Marty what he wanted to do, and he said he wanted to sell it on all platforms. Simple as that.

Some consumers have hence expressed skepticism about whether id Software's opinion truly had much bearing on Doom: The Dark Ages being approved for a day-one PlayStation debut. That's in no small part because the decision to make Starfield an Xbox console exclusive is still fresh on a lot of people's minds. Bethesda itself was reportedly confused about Microsoft's platform strategy following that move, especially after its parent company went in the opposite direction with Call of Duty.

Microsoft's softening stance on exclusivity could be related to the widely reported decline in Xbox console sales. With the PS5 being estimated to have outsold the Xbox Series X/S three-to-one in 2023, Microsoft might be turning to multi-platform publishing in an effort to improve the sustainability of its game studios, especially in light of the recent trend of steadily increasing AAA development budgets.