What happens when you take one of gaming’s most iconic killing machines, shove him into a suit of medieval armour, and tell him to keep swinging until the music stops? Apparently, you get the biggest launch in id Software’s history.

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According to Bethesda, DOOM: The Dark Ages has already carved its name into the record books, reaching 3 million players faster than Doomguy can rip and tear through a demonic horde. To put it bluntly, it blew past DOOM Eternal’s numbers seven times faster—and that’s no small feat considering Eternal was already a chainsaw-wielding juggernaut when it dropped back in 2020.

But hang on, you might say—didn’t DOOM Eternal hit the same 3 million milestone within 10 days of release, according to SuperData? Sure, but that was based on educated guesswork. Bethesda’s current claim is official. And this time, they’ve got the receipts.

Now, The Dark Ages doesn’t come with multiplayer, so don’t expect any Slayer-versus-Slayer mayhem. This one’s a pure, blood-soaked solo campaign, heavily leaning into storytelling—something id Software boldly claimed would be their “best yet.” Set between DOOM 64 and the 2016 reboot, the game goes full Excalibur with shotguns and dragons. You’re a knight. A very angry, heavily armed knight.

“But what about Steam?” I hear the keyboard warriors cry. “Where are the numbers?” Well, The Dark Ages hit a peak of 31,470 concurrent players on Steam, which may look a bit tame next to Eternal’s 104,000. However, there’s a twist—Dark Ages launched straight into PC Game Pass, meaning loads of players simply skipped Steam altogether. Eternal didn’t have that luxury back then, as Microsoft hadn’t snapped up Bethesda yet.

Critical reception? Pretty damn solid. I reviewed it and loved it. So be sure to check it out. While some additions don’t quite stick the landing, the open zones are a delight, and the core combat loop remains as glorious and violent as ever.

So yes, DOOM: The Dark Ages might wear a steel helmet and swing a mace, but it’s also breaking records with the force of a BFG blast. Not bad for a game set before the invention of plumbing.