Gamers Fear The Worst For DOOM: The Dark Ages’ Campaign, And They Might Be Right

Id Software, owned by Zenimax Media Inc. and one of the key studios within Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios division, recently revealed a developer sneak peek of the latest entry in the DOOM franchise. According to Hugo Martin, DOOM: The Dark Ages’ story is ‘easier to access now as we’ve taken the narrative out of the codex and into the cutscenes, featuring new characters, old allies, and powerful new villains.’

Gamers over social media, particularly X, have dissected every bit of id Software’s segment during the latest Xbox Developer Direct which took place on January 23rd this year. Some of them have expressed concern about the game’s introduction of a female character with peculiar masculine features. Some others have focused on the introduction of accessibility features in DOOM: The Dark Ages, while others have pointed out that DOOM’s story mode may be the perfect vehicle for a bait and switch strategy.

It’s easy to dismiss these concerns as mere exaggerations and ‘snowflake’ complaints; however, reflecting upon the cause for these concerns shines valuable insights that may validate gamer fears.

Studios under the Xbox Game Studios label have continuously been exposed for promoting leftist agendas. The recent reports that have come out regarding Obsidian and Compulsion Games’ culture, where the use of pronouns is enforced in internal comms while prioritizing liberal agendas over conservative points of view, strengthen the argument that id Software may have also been subjected to these draconian practices.

As it has evidenced over the past year with the Sweet Baby Inc. scandal, DEI consultants have the most influence over storylines and character designs. That’s why DOOM: The Dark Ages’ focus on story seems suspicious to the conservative gamer.

According to Martin,

“The story of DOOM: The Dark Ages, like everything else in the game is big. It’s a summer blockbuster event with everything on the line, and you are the star of the show. Your power is coveted by your enemies and withheld from your allies. With the slayer imprisoned at the start of our story, the balance of power between good and evil is shifting, and time is running out. It’s a new story and the perfect entry point for new players. It’s easier to access now, as we’ve taken the narrative out of the codex, and into the cutscenes, featuring new characters, old allies, and powerful new villains.”

That description may sound exciting, although a bit safe and corporate, but a slightly deeper analysis uncovers reasons to be concerned.

Let’s go over them one by one.

“It’s a summer blockbuster event.”

Hollywood isn’t necessarily at a peak right now, both in terms of revenue and cultural impact. Gamers are aware of how Hollywood has devolved into a factory of woke propaganda over the past decade. Therefore, comparing DOOM’s story to a ‘summer blockbuster event’ may not be the kind of comparison gamers expect. Let’s not forget the fact that treating movies as events, just like the MCU did at the end of last decade is just an excuse to turn a piece of entertainment into a glorified trailer.

“You are the star of the show.”

There’s a case to be made about the RPGification of Western entertainment, which may have resulted in a net negative overall due to the influence of DEI consultants. When contemporary studios use the word YOU at the center of the story, gamers have reasons to be worried about any injection of DEI content such as pronouns or progressive decisions, as evidenced by games such as Starfield, BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and the upcoming Avowed (another title by Xbox Game Studios).

“It’s a new story and the perfect entry point for new players.”

The DOOM franchise prior to 2016 didn’t really need a story. After all, DOOM is all about destroying and eviscerating demons at a frantic pace. Why is id Software interested in creating a perfect entry point for new players? Haven’t efforts to appeal to the ‘widest possible demographic’ ended in miserable outcomes over the past decade, as evidenced by the Star Wars franchise?

“It’s easier to access now, as we’ve taken the narrative out of the codex and into the cutscenes.”

A game’s codex is an interesting narrative device that adds mystery and intrigue to how a story is told. Why has id Software decided to take narrative elements out of the codex and into cutscenes? It seems gratuitous at best and insidious at worst since DEI consultants are notable for using cutscenes as a way to spread feminist and LGBTQ propaganda. Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us are good examples of this.

DOOM: The Dark Ages looks like a promising title, but given the way its story was teased and the history of Microsoft pushing LGBTQ and feminist propaganda through its Xbox Game Studios division, gamers have valid concerns to be wary of the game’s release.

DOOM: The Dark Ages releases on May 15, 2025.

By Yorch Torch - Follow him on X.

If you enjoy clean fantasy fiction with great worldbuilding and a classic feel, read The Adventures of Baron von Monocle six-book series and support Fandom Pulse!

NEXT: Warner Bros. Shuts Down 'MultiVersus' After Taking $100 Million Impairment Charge