Our Favorite Doom Slayer is back for another brutal adventure!
Hell has returned with Doom: The Dark Ages, the prequel to id Software’s 2016 resurrection of the Doom franchise, and drops this week on multiple platforms.
Here’s when you can unleash the carnage in your time zone.
Contents
1. How to get Doom: The Dark Ages before launch day?
2. When does Doom: The Dark Ages unlock in your time zone?
i. Doom: The Dark Ages – Early Access Release Times
ii. Doom: The Dark Ages – Full Release Times
3. Is Doom: The Dark Ages available on Game Pass?
4. About Doom: The Dark Ages
1. How to get Doom: The Dark Ages before launch day?
Doom: The Dark Ages is almost here, and those who’ve grabbed the Premium Edition can jump into the action ahead of everyone else.
Early access begins two days before the official launch, with the full release following shortly after. Players can also preload the game ahead of time to be ready the moment it drops.
To play the game early, pick up the $100 Premium Edition—or, if you managed to score the now sold-out $200 Collector’s Edition, that works too.
In addition to granting two days of early access, the Premium Edition of Doom: The Dark Ages comes packed with extra content. Players who pre-order will receive the exclusive Void Doom Slayer skin.
The edition also includes access to future campaign DLC upon release, a digital artbook, the official soundtrack, and the Divinity Skin Pack, which features one skin each for the Doom Slayer, the dragon, and the mech.
2. When does Doom: The Dark Ages unlock in your time zone?
Players who pre-ordered Doom: The Dark Ages can dive in early, starting the evening of May 12 in the Americas, and in the early morning hours of May 13 across Africa and Eurasia.
For everyone else, the full game unlocks on the evening of May 14 in North and South America. Preloading is already live on PC, and both early access and standard pre-order customers can start downloading now to be ready for launch.
i. Doom: The Dark Ages – Early Access Release Times
(Premium & Collector’s Edition only – starts Midnight UTC, May 13)
| Time Zone | Local Time | Date |
| Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) | 5:00 PM | Monday, May 12 |
| Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) | 8:00 PM | Monday, May 12 |
| British Summer Time (BST) | 1:00 AM | Tuesday, May 13 |
| Central European Summer Time (CEST) | 2:00 AM | Tuesday, May 13 |
| Japan Standard Time (JST) | 9:00 AM | Tuesday, May 13 |
ii. Doom: The Dark Ages – Full Release Times
(All platforms – starts Midnight UTC, May 15)
| Time Zone | Local Time | Date |
| Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) | 5:00 PM | Wednesday, May 14 |
| Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) | 8:00 PM | Wednesday, May 14 |
| British Summer Time (BST) | 1:00 AM | Thursday, May 15 |
| Central European Summer Time (CEST) | 2:00 AM | Thursday, May 15 |
| Japan Standard Time (JST) | 9:00 AM | Thursday, May 15 |
3. Is Doom: The Dark Ages available on Game Pass?
Yes, Doom: The Dark Ages will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch—but only for certain subscription tiers. To play it, you’ll need to be subscribed to either PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It won’t be accessible through the Core or Standard Game Pass tiers.
Doom: The Dark Ages promises a blood-pumping, metal-infused ride you won’t want to miss. So mark your calendars, gear up, and prepare for battle—Hell doesn’t stand a chance!
Get Doom: The Dark Ages on:
4. About Doom: The Dark Ages
Doom: The Dark Ages is an upcoming first-person shooter developed by idSoftware and published by Bethesda Softworks. It serves as a prequel to the 2016 reboot of the Doom series and its sequel, Doom Eternal. The gam will be released on May 15, 2025, on platforms likePlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. It serves as a prequel to the 2016 Doom reboot, introducing a darker, medieval-inspired setting focusing on melee combat and shield parrying, offering a shift from the fast-paced action of its predecessors.
