Doom Director Disputes ‘Woke Ages’ Claims: Flexibility Means Harder or Easier

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Summary

  • Doom: The Dark Ages director Hugo Martin has responded to complaints about the difficulty sliders in the upcoming game, with some calling the title ‘Woke Ages.’
  • Alongside a standard difficulty setting, fans will be able to tweak things like game speed, enemy aggression, and the ability to make the player and enemies take more or less damage per hit.
  • Martin says that while the sliders can make the game much easier, they can also make it much more difficult.

Director Hugo Martin is addressing the ongoing feedback from players about the challenge level in the upcoming first-person shooter game, “Doom: The Dark Ages.” Despite some players jokingly referring to it as “The Enlightened Ages,” this highly anticipated title for 2025, which sees fans returning to the role of the Doom Slayer, continues to generate excitement just weeks before its release.

The upcoming game, titled “Doom: The Dark Ages“, is the eighth installment in the franchise and serves as a sequel to “Doom Eternal” released in 2020, while also acting as a prequel to the 2016 version of “Doom“. The game was officially announced in June 2024, and although an official release date has not been confirmed yet (it was leaked in January 2025), fans are already excited about it. They’re speculating where the story will be set and what powerful weapons they’ll get to use. While many are looking forward to “Doom‘s” fast-paced combat, some have expressed concerns on social media about its difficulty, claiming that the new FPS is too “woke”.

As reported by ComicBook.com, Doom: The Dark Ages director Hugo Martin discusses the innovative approach to difficulty levels in the game. In early 2025, it was disclosed that The Dark Ages would offer a unique method for setting difficulty, using adjustable sliders to tailor gameplay. Besides the standard difficulty level, gamers will have the freedom to modify factors such as game pace, enemy aggression, and damage taken per hit. Some critics argue this choice is “woke,” suggesting it diminishes the challenge. However, Martin disagrees, stating that these options are designed to cater to both novice (white belt) and experienced (black belt) players. He further explains that while sliders can make the game less challenging by slowing it down, they can also intensify it by speeding things up significantly.

Doom: The Dark Ages Director Hugo Martin Addresses Concerns Regarding Game’s Difficulty Level

Ever since the unveiling of the new game, long-standing Doom enthusiasts have harbored concerns that the forthcoming title might be the final installment in the reboot trilogy. However, in January, Martin clarified that “Doom: The Dark Ages” wouldn’t mark the end of the series. He even expressed his eagerness to continue working on the franchise for an extended period. The 2020 release of “Doom Eternal” was a smash hit, with more than 100,000 simultaneous Steam users on its launch day and generating over $450 million in revenue within just under a year after it hit the market.

There’s chatter suggesting that “Doom: The Dark Ages” could potentially be a game for the rumored Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s yet to be officially verified. If you’re intrigued and want to know more about this new console, mark your calendars for April 2nd as Nintendo has planned a dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 Direct event where they will reveal the games that will be available at launch.

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2025-03-19 22:44