What just happened? Nightdive Studios, MachineGames, and id Software have kicked off another QuakeCon by revisiting classic first-person shooters. This year, the trio collaborated to introduce performance improvements, new features, and additional content for the first two Doom games. The update is free for all owners of either title on modern platforms.
Anyone who owns the original 1993 Doom or Doom II on digital PC storefronts, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, or PlayStation should check for a major update released by id Software this week. The company has rewritten the modern ports of these two iconic FPS games, adding new features and levels.
The two classic Doom games, along with Master Levels of Doom II and Final Doom, have been delisted from all storefronts and replaced with a single package titled "Doom + Doom II," which consolidates their content. This package will automatically appear in the libraries of users who own either Doom or Doom II at no additional cost.
The $10 set includes the two original campaigns, TNT: Evilution, The Plutonia Experiment, Master Levels, the No Rest for the Living expansion (which debuted in 2010 with Doom 3: BFG Edition), John Romero's Sigil episodes from 2019 and 2023, and a new episode titled Legacy of Rust. The new map pack, a joint effort from id Software, Nightdive Studios, and MachineGames, introduces new enemies and weapons.
Multiplayer has also been overhauled. The update adds cross-play for deathmatch and co-op modes for up to 16 players, eight-player split-screen support on Xbox and PC, and 25 new deathmatch maps.
A new in-game browser allows players to download community-made maps directly within the game. Additionally, the new port supports any Boom-compatible mod, enabling users to access hundreds of maps created by the Doom modding community over the past two decades.
Bethesda previously released classic Doom source ports based on Unity, but the new update replaces it with Nightdive's Kex engine to improve performance. Current-gen consoles can now run the games at 4K and 120fps. Additionally, players can switch between the original MIDI soundtrack and a new IDKFA version by composer Andrew Hulshult, featuring new Doom II recordings.
New accessibility options include font choices, text-to-speech, speech-to-text chat, and a high-contrast mode. Additional translations now make the games playable in Mexican Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.
Moreover, Bethesda is celebrating QuakeCon with discounts on most of its titles on Steam, Epic, Switch, and Xbox.
Classic Doom games receive a new official episode and a major update for Quakecon
