Highlights
- A leaked document suggests that a new Doom game, possibly titled Doom: Year Zero, could be released in 2024 or later.
- The previous Doom games, including the 2016 reboot and Doom Eternal, have been critically acclaimed and well-received by fans.
- It is speculated that Doom: Year Zero could be a prequel, but fans will have to wait for an official reveal from Bethesda to know for sure.
A new Doom game, apparently titled Doom: Year Zero, has leaked online. The Doom brand is one of the most well-known in gaming history, though the franchise has definitely had its ups and downs. Doom had a string of successful releases in the 90s, but the FPS series ultimately went on hiatus after Doom 3, which garnered a more mixed reception from fans for its slower-pace and focus on horror elements over the fast-paced shooting the series had been known for up to that point.
12 years after Doom 3, Doom finally made a comeback with the 2016 Doom reboot. The 2016 Doom game earned critical acclaim and was hailed as a return to form for the franchise. It was followed up in 2020 with Doom Eternal, a sequel that made the combat even more frantic and is considered by many to be one of the best games in the series to date. A new entry in the Doom franchise is inevitable, and a recent leak suggests it could be coming out as early as next year.
A ton of documents relating to Microsoft's court case with the FTC have leaked online, potentially revealing Bethesda's plans for the next few years. One of the games mentioned in these leaked documents is an unannounced title called Doom: Year Zero, which was originally supposed to launch this year alongside DLC, with even more DLC coming to the game in 2024. Since 2023 is nearly at an end and Doom: Year Zero has not been officially announced, it's safe to assume that the game has been internally delayed and most likely won't release until 2024 at the earliest. This is assuming it hasn't been scrapped completely, of course.
No other details about what Doom: Year Zero is are revealed in the leaked documents, but its title certainly suggests that it is a prequel of some sort. That's just speculation at this time, though. Fans will have to wait for Bethesda to officially reveal Doom: Year Zero to know for sure what the game is about, and with the Xbox Games Showcase and QuakeCon 2023 having come and gone already, it's looking like a Doom: Year Zero reveal isn't happening in 2023 - barring a world premiere at The Game Awards, that is.
Whenever Doom: Year Zero is released, another detail fans will be curious about is whether the game is Xbox console exclusive or not. Chances are good that any new Doom games will be Xbox exclusive, but there's always the slight chance that Microsoft could still bring the game to PS5, considering Doom's built-in audience on the platform. However, PlayStation gamers shouldn't hold their breath for that possibility. The most likely scenario is that Doom: Year Zero will release only on PC and Xbox.
Doom: Year Zero is rumored to be in development.