Doom

Officially Doom (franchise)

FATHER of MODERN FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER genre — original DOOM launched December 1993 by ID SOFTWARE (John Carmack + John Romero + Sandy Petersen + Adrian Carmack). Player is DOOMGUY (later DOOMSLAYER) — Space Marine fighting DEMONS FROM HELL invading Mars space stations + Earth. Fast-movement shooting + shotgun + BFG-9000 + power-ups. Original DOOM freeware + shareware model + LAN parties defined 1990s PC gaming; MODDING culture launched here. Series: Doom 1993, Doom II, Doom 3, DOOM (2016) reboot, DOOM ETERNAL (2020), Doom: The Dark Ages (2025). 35+ MILLION SOLD.

📐Various sci-fi / hell environments — Mars bases, Earth ruins, Hell dimensions⏱~600 min🌤indoor

Photo · Wikipedia

What is Doom?

Doom is FOUNDATIONAL FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER franchise developed by ID SOFTWARE (originally Shreveport LA, now Richardson TX; owned by BETHESDA/ZENIMAX since 2009 + then Microsoft/Xbox since 2020). Original DOOM launched DECEMBER 10, 1993 as SHAREWARE + FREEWARE — pioneering distribution model where FIRST EPISODE was free, sequels for purchase (players could copy + share freeware disk). ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT TEAM: JOHN CARMACK (engine + graphics programmer, legendary optimizer), JOHN ROMERO (level design + game design), SANDY PETERSEN (level design), ADRIAN CARMACK (artist, no relation), TOM HALL (initial design + fired mid-development). GAMEPLAY: FIRST-PERSON perspective — you are DOOMGUY (later canonically DOOMSLAYER), space marine on MARS + PHOBOS + DEIMOS moon bases. UNION AEROSPACE CORPORATION (UAC) experiments accidentally opened portal to HELL — DEMONS invade. Player fights through 27+ levels (base + 3 episodes) with iconic monsters: IMPS (fireball demons), CACODEMONS (giant floating spheres with teeth), CYBERDEMONS (huge cyborg minotaur boss), BARONS OF HELL, PINKIES (chargers), SOULCUBES, MASTERMIND SPIDERS. WEAPONS: FISTS, CHAINSAW (iconic), pistol, SHOTGUN, SUPER SHOTGUN (double-barrel, added in Doom II), CHAINGUN, ROCKET LAUNCHER, PLASMA RIFLE, BFG-9000 (Big Fucking Gun — one-shots most enemies). Fast movement — DOOMGUY moves 3x faster than modern shooter characters; JUMPING wasn't in original (added later). Original engine (id Tech 1) was REVOLUTIONARY — used raycasting for pseudo-3D rendering + BSP tree for fast graphics. IMPACT: (1) DEFINED FPS GENRE — 'Doom Clone' was term for shooters before 'FPS' term existed; (2) LAUNCHED MULTIPLAYER 'DEATHMATCH' (Doom 2 added competitive PvP over LAN); (3) MODDING CULTURE — WAD file format let community create custom levels; countless mods (Brutal Doom, Doom 64 mods, custom megawads); (4) SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTION model; (5) OPEN-SOURCE ENGINE (Carmack released source code 1997 = countless ports to every platform imaginable including PREGNANCY TEST + FRIDGE + PIANO). SERIES: DOOM (1993), DOOM II: HELL ON EARTH (1994), DOOM 3 (2004, horror-focused reboot), DOOM (2016 — modern reboot, fast + brutal), DOOM ETERNAL (2020 — sequel to 2016), DOOM: THE DARK AGES (May 2025 — prequel medieval theme). 35+ MILLION UNITS SOLD across franchise. Modern reboots by ID SOFTWARE under HUGO MARTIN + MARTY STRATTON direction. 2016 REBOOT was RENAISSANCE — reintroduced fast movement + glory kills + heavy metal soundtrack (MICK GORDON's iconic score). CULTURAL LEGACY: DOOMGUY appearances in countless games; 'CAN IT RUN DOOM?' meme where community ports Doom to every device (calculators, oscilloscopes, McDonald's touchscreens, pregnancy tests). Considered ONE OF MOST IMPORTANT VIDEO GAMES EVER MADE.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Rip and tear demons through Hell + Mars + Earth — complete campaign missions using fast movement + shotgun + BFG. In multiplayer: deathmatch competitive shooter.

Rules

Basic rules

PLAY as DOOMGUY / DOOMSLAYER — silent space marine protagonist
Character remains silent throughout most of franchise (defining choice).
SHOOT DEMONS — pistol, shotgun, super shotgun, chaingun, rocket launcher, plasma rifle, BFG-9000
Weapons progression through campaign.
CLASSIC DOOM: FAST MOVEMENT — no jump (in original); 3x faster than modern shooters
Speed is DEFINING mechanic.
MODERN DOOM (2016+): GLORY KILLS — health-generating melee finishers
Killing enemies at low health = staggered = glory kill for health drops.
COLLECT POWER-UPS: green armor, blue armor, medkits, ammo pickups
Doom is loot-based FPS.
PROGRESS through LEVELS via KEY CARDS + EXIT DOORS
Classic Doom level design: find keys → open doors → reach exit.
MULTIPLAYER: DEATHMATCH (invented in Doom 2) + team modes
Doom is godfather of competitive FPS.

Scoring

Campaign: kill count + secret areas + time completion. Multiplayer: frag count.

Action	Points
Kill demon	+1 kill counted in level stats
Find secret area	Secrets counter (100% is achievement)
Complete level under par time	Speedrun achievement
Glory Kill (Modern Doom 2016+)	Health + ammo drops
Chainsaw kill (Modern Doom)	Ammo drop shower
Multiplayer frag	+1 kill (usually to 20-50 kills)
Beat campaign on Ultra-Nightmare (permadeath)	Ultimate achievement — one death = restart

Win condition · Complete final campaign level. Multiplayer: reach frag limit or objective count first.

Playing area

Called

Various sci-fi / hell environments — Mars bases, Earth ruins, Hell dimensions

Dimensions

Levels vary from small arenas to sprawling maps

Iconic settings: UAC Mars facility, Phobos/Deimos moon bases, Earth invasion (Doom II), Hell + Argent Sacellum (Doom Eternal).

Equipment

PC (Steam/GOG/Epic) — modern OR classic Doom
Original 1993 Doom runs on ANYTHING; modern reboots need decent PC.
PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Series X-S/Switch/Stadia (2016+ reboots)
Doom Eternal on all platforms.
GZDoom or DOSBox for playing classic 1993 Doom in modern era
Free source ports enable classic Doom on modern PC.
Doom + Doom II bundle ($5-10 on Steam sales)
Classic Doom is cheap + always-relevant.
Doom Eternal ($60 base + $30 DLCs Ancient Gods 1-2)
Most recent mainline game before Dark Ages.

Strategies

MOVE CONSTANTLY — never stop moving; strafe + circle-strafe demons
Standing still = death; Doom rewards mobility.
USE SUPER SHOTGUN — most iconic + best mid-range weapon (Doom II+)
Two-tap most enemies including Barons of Hell.
SAVE BFG for boss battles + swarm rooms — 40 ammo per shot
One-shots Cyberdemon; use wisely.
MODERN DOOM: chain glory kills for health + chainsaw for ammo
Managing 3-resource loop (health/armor/ammo) is core.
USE MAP KNOWLEDGE — memorize enemy spawns + resource locations
Classic Doom rewards level knowledge.
TRY ULTRA-VIOLENCE difficulty (classic) or NIGHTMARE (modern) for challenge
Intended difficulty for veterans.
USE GZDOOM source port for classic Doom — mouselook + wide screen + modern controls
Best way to experience 1993 Doom in 2026.
TRY BRUTAL DOOM mod for over-the-top classic Doom experience
Fan-favorite; more blood + gore + weapons.

Terminology

DOOMGUY / Doomslayer: Silent protagonist; officially named Doomslayer in modern reboot.
UAC: Union Aerospace Corporation — evil corporation opened portal to Hell.
Hell: Demonic dimension source of enemies + certain levels.
Imp: Basic fireball-throwing demon.
Cacodemon: Iconic floating red demon with mouth.
Cyberdemon: Massive cyborg minotaur — recurring boss.
Baron of Hell: Tough minotaur-like demon.
Pinky: Small charging demon with big mouth.
BFG-9000: Big Fucking Gun — most powerful weapon.
Super Shotgun: Double-barrel shotgun added in Doom II.
Glory Kill: Modern Doom finisher move; drops health.
Chainsaw: Iconic melee weapon; ammo-drop rewards in modern Doom.
WAD: Where's All the Data — Doom's mod file format.
Deathmatch: Multiplayer combat mode; term coined by id Software for Doom.
Nightmare: Doom's insane-difficulty mode where enemies respawn.

Major competitions

Original Doom / Doom II speedrun communities (30+ years)
ongoing · worldwide · since 1993
Doom Eternal SlayerCon / official tournaments
annual · worldwide · since 2020
QuakeCon (Doom + other id games showcase, since 1996)
annual · USA · since 1996
Modern DOOM esports minimal — series primarily single-player focus
n/a · n/a

Where it is played

🇬🇱🇴🇧🇦🇱🇅𡆹🇅🇘🇚🇲🇐🇅🇨🇴🇵🇮🇪🇸🇅🇸🇴🇱🇩🇠🇅🇵🇦🇷🇹🇮🇨🇺🇱🇦🇷🇱🇾🇅🇵🇴🇵🇺🇱🇦🇷🇅🇮🇳🇅🇺🇸🇦🇑🇅🇬🇪🇷🇲🇦🇳🇾🇑🇅🇺🇰🇑🇅🇷🇺🇸🇸🇮🇦🇑🇅🇧🇷🇦🇿🇮🇱🇑🇅🇵🇴🇱🇦🇳🇩Global — 35M+ copies sold; particularly popular in USA, Germany, UK, Russia, Brazil, Poland

Governing bodies

id Software (developer)
Founded 1991 · Richardson, TX, USA
Official site ↗
Bethesda Softworks (publisher)
Founded 1986 · Rockville, MD, USA
ZeniMax Media (parent of Bethesda)
Founded 1999 · Rockville, MD, USA
Microsoft / Xbox Game Studios (owner since 2020)
Founded 2000 · Redmond, WA, USA

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

John Carmack — Legendary programmer; id Software co-founder; engine wizard
John Romero — Level designer + id co-founder; face of company
Sandy Petersen — Level designer (Doom + Quake)
Adrian Carmack — Original artist
Tom Hall — Initial designer (fired mid-development)
Bobby Prince — Original Doom + Doom II soundtrack
Mick Gordon — DOOM (2016) + Doom Eternal iconic metal soundtracks
Hugo Martin + Marty Stratton — Modern Doom directors at id
Various speedrunners — Speedrun records for classic Doom nearly 30 years

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Try DOOM (2016) — modern entry point; free demo available
Best modern feel; explains franchise appeal.
2
Play on NORMAL difficulty first; HURT ME PLENTY on replay
Doom difficulty names: I'm too young to die / Hey not too rough / Hurt me plenty / Ultra-Violence / Nightmare.
3
Complete original DOOM (1993) via GZDoom source port
Foundation experience; short 6-hour campaign.

intermediate

1
Play DOOM ETERNAL — most complex + rewarding modern Doom
Resource management + platforming + Slayer's arsenal juggling.
2
Master ULTRA-VIOLENCE difficulty on classic Doom + Doom II
Standard veteran difficulty.
3
Try BRUTAL DOOM mod for over-the-top experience
Modernizes classic Doom with gore + new mechanics.
4
Speedrun classic Doom levels — legendary 30-year community
Doomworld's records go back to 1994.

advanced

1
Beat DOOM ETERNAL on ULTRA-NIGHTMARE (permadeath) — one death = restart
Ultimate skill test; less than 5% of players complete.
2
Speedrun any campaign — Doom 1 sub-10 min, Doom Eternal sub-2 hour
Community records + tools available.
3
Create custom WAD levels for classic Doom
Iconic modding community.
4
Play through legendary MEGAWADS: Sunder, Sunlust, Eviternity, Ancient Aliens
Community-created content often better than official.

Frequently asked

How do I play the original 1993 Doom in 2026?+

USE A SOURCE PORT — the ORIGINAL DOOM.EXE won't run on modern Windows without help. RECOMMENDED SOURCE PORTS: (1) GZDOOM (most popular; supports mouselook, wide screen, mods) — free download from zdoom.org. (2) CHOCOLATE DOOM (authentic 1993 experience). (3) DOOMSDAY (fancy graphics). PROCESS: (1) Buy DOOM + DOOM II on Steam or GOG ($5-10 bundle). (2) Download GZDoom. (3) Copy DOOM.WAD or DOOM2.WAD from Steam install folder into GZDoom folder. (4) Run GZDoom + select the WAD. Then browse Doomworld.com or Idgames archive for CUSTOM MEGAWADS (community campaigns often better than original). Classic Doom in 2026 is more accessible + modded than ever.

Should I start with classic or modern Doom?+

MODERN FIRST for most players — DOOM (2016) is the ideal entry: fast + brutal + gorgeous graphics + Mick Gordon's iconic metal soundtrack. Not as demanding as original which shows its age. AFTER DOOM 2016 → play DOOM ETERNAL (2020, more complex sequel) → OPTIONALLY go back to classic 1993 DOOM via GZDoom for historical context. If you're an FPS PURIST or NOSTALGIA-DRIVEN: classic 1993 DOOM directly via source port is still incredible. Doom 3 (2004) is HORROR-focused + slower — not representative of franchise; play last or skip. DOOM 64 (1997) has been re-released digitally + is short + good. Recommended order for newcomers: DOOM (2016) → DOOM ETERNAL → classic DOOM (1993, GZDoom) → DOOM II → optional Doom 3.

Why does Doom run on everything?+

TWO REASONS: (1) JOHN CARMACK OPEN-SOURCED THE ORIGINAL DOOM ENGINE in 1997 — anyone can port it. (2) ORIGINAL DOOM'S PSEUDO-3D ENGINE was extraordinarily efficient — needs only 4 MB RAM + basic CPU. This combination made 'CAN IT RUN DOOM?' a global meme + engineering challenge. COMMUNITY has ported Doom to: pregnancy tests (2020, e-ink display), John Deere tractors, McDonald's touch-screen ordering kiosks, pianos, ATMs, digital cameras, calculators (TI-84), oscilloscopes, refrigerators with LCD panels, printers, cars (Tesla + LADA), Nintendo Switch OLED + Game Boy, iPods, various IoT devices, even INSIDE OTHER GAMES (Doom running inside Minecraft, inside Minecraft, inside Doom — recursion!). Modern challenge: 'DOOM CAPTCHA' — solve a Doom mini-game to prove humanity. Doom is closer to a UNIVERSAL DEMONSTRATION of computational capability than a game at this point.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Doom (franchise)— Wikipedia
Bethesda Doom official site— Bethesda / id Software
Doom Wiki— Doom Wiki
GZDoom source port— ZDoom community

Last verified 2026-08-26.verified