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DOOM
DOOM is an active series with a new DLC, continued fan ports to unconventional platforms, and a major studio restructuring that cut id Software staff by half.
Synthesized from 17
Yomimono stories · updated
Aug 29
DOOM in 2026 is a series in motion on several fronts. The modern trilogy reached its capstone with Revelations, the expansion for DOOM: The Dark Ages, which launched on July 7 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Critics met it with high scores, including Metascores of 89 on PC, 90 on PS5, and 91 on Xbox Series X, praising the new Chain Spear weapon and level design while noting backtracking as a weakness. Director Hugo Martin called it the best DOOM experience the studio has ever made and the culmination of the past 30 years.
The fan port tradition continued with several notable projects. Mark Russinovich, CTO of Microsoft Azure, released DoomPaint, which runs the 1993 original at its full 35 frames per second through Microsoft Paint. Programmer Artem Litkin released doom-regex, running the game through pure regular expressions with a 96.6 MB string and 544 replacement rules, though each frame takes about three minutes. A separate project made DOOM playable inside Anthropic's Claude Code using Freedoom Phase 1, and another ran it through YouTube as a rail shooter. The Bobby Prince composed soundtracks for Doom and Doom II entered the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry in May 2026, weeks before his death on June 16.
Behind the scenes, Microsoft's restructuring cut roughly half of id Software's staff, with about 95 layoffs out of an estimated 185 employees, as ZeniMax shifts focus to major IPs including DOOM. Veteran developers confirmed departures, and the quality assurance department was hit hard. The future of the studio's output remains uncertain with the reduced workforce.
Key facts
- Revelations release
- DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations launched July 7, 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. ↗
- Revelations review scores
- Metascores of 89 on PC, 90 on PS5, and 91 on Xbox Series X. ↗
- New weapon
- Revelations introduces the Chain Spear, a melee weapon that also functions as a grappling hook. ↗
- DoomPaint
- Mark Russinovich released DoomPaint, running the 1993 DOOM at 35 frames per second through Microsoft Paint. ↗
- doom-regex
- Artem Litkin's doom-regex runs DOOM using a 96.6 MB string and 544 replacement rules, with one frame taking about 180 seconds. ↗
- DOOM in Claude Code
- A GitHub tool runs Freedoom Phase 1 inside Anthropic's Claude Code, pausing when AI responses arrive. ↗
- Bobby Prince's death
- Composer Bobby Prince, known for the Doom and Wolfenstein 3D soundtracks, died on June 16, 2026. ↗
- Library of Congress honor
- The Doom soundtrack entered the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry in May 2026. ↗
- id Software layoffs
- Roughly half of id Software's staff was laid off, about 95 out of an estimated 185 employees. ↗
- 40th anniversary sale
- Bethesda held a 40th anniversary sale covering DOOM titles on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Nintendo Store. ↗
Timeline
- Aug 28, 2026 WEBTOON Takes 60% Stake in RI Games Holdings to Build Webtoon Games
- Aug 23, 2026 DOOM Now Playable Inside Claude Code While Waiting for AI Responses
- Aug 9, 2026 Bethesda Marks 40th Anniversary With New Logo and Storewide Sales
- Aug 9, 2026 DOOM Runs on Regular Expressions, 180 Seconds Per Frame
- Aug 8, 2026 Amazon Hobby New Arrival Ranking: Doctor Doom S.H.Figuarts Takes Top Spot
- Aug 7, 2026 Microsoft Veteran Engineer Makes DOOM Playable in Windows Paint
- Aug 7, 2026 Programmer Runs Doom With 544 Regex Rules, One Frame Takes Minutes
- Aug 7, 2026 Chris Evans Says Marvel Pitched Him Multiple Returns Before Doomsday
- Aug 7, 2026 Hot Toys Unveils Avengers: Doomsday Figures at Comic-Con
- Jul 26, 2026 Doomsday Diner Launches on Steam, a Post-Apocalyptic Hot Dog Stand Sim
- Jul 18, 2026 Revelations Review Scores Cap the Doom Trilogy With High Praise
- Jul 13, 2026 DOOM Runs on YouTube in a Rail Shooter Experiment
- Jul 6, 2026 Microsoft Restructuring Cuts id Software Staff by Half as ZeniMax Pivots to Major IPs
- Jul 1, 2026 DOOM: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC Launches July 8 With Chain Spear and Endgame Content
- Jun 19, 2026 Bobby Prince, Composer of Original 'Doom' and 'Wolfenstein 3D', Dies at 76
- Jun 7, 2026 DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC Revelations Launches July 7
- Jun 2, 2026 Russo Brothers Tease 'Avengers: Doomsday' Surprise at SXSW London
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Noted
- DOOM is ported to unexpected environments · 2026-08-23
- Noted
- runs using only regular expressions · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- machine state encoded in a 96.6 MB string · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- processed by 544 replacement rules step by step · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- each frame takes about three minutes · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- real-time play is impractical · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- can run through pure string rewriting · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- relies on Turing completeness of regular expressions · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- notable technical curiosity in history of unusual DOOM ports · 2026-08-07
- Noted
- DOOM Runs on YouTube in a Rail Shooter Experiment · 2026-07-13
- Release
- game · 2026-08-09 · 2026-08-09
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All coverage
Sep 2
Nintendo added three Famicom titles to its Nintendo Classics service on September 2: Ikari, Dragon Buster, and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. All three are available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers at no additional cost and run on both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Ikari is the 1986 SNK action shooter in which players control Ralph and Clark as they infiltrate an enemy base, with limited ammunition that must be replenished from drops. Dragon Buster, released by Namco in 1987, is a side-view action adventure starring swordsman Clovis on a quest to rescue Princess Celia from a dragon. Ninja Gaiden III, Tecmo's 1991 side-scrolling action game, follows Ryu Hayabusa after he is framed for the murder of Irene Lew.
The addition completes the Ninja Gaiden trilogy on the service, since the first two games were already available. The lineup drew strong reaction on X, where Dragon Buster trended and players welcomed the return of the three titles.
Aug 28
WEBTOON Entertainment announced a definitive agreement to invest in RI Games Holdings, gaining a 60% stake at closing. The company plans to develop multiple games based on webtoon IPs over four years. The first title is an action MMORPG based on Overgeared, developed by GrayGames and published by Nexon, launching this year alongside the anime.
Aug 23
A GitHub user released kaboom.claude, a program that runs the free FPS Freedoom Phase 1 inside Anthropic's Claude Code. While waiting for AI responses, the game takes focus automatically, and it pauses when a response arrives. The tool installs the game temporarily via npx and removes it after use.
Aug 9
Bethesda Softworks announced July 31, 2026, that it is holding sales across multiple stores to commemorate its 40th anniversary, alongside a new logo reveal. Discounts cover The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Wolfenstein, and Starfield titles on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Nintendo Store.
Aug 9
Programmer Artem Litkin released DOOM on regex, a project that runs the classic FPS using only regular expression search and replace. A 96.6 MB string holds the entire virtual machine, and 544 replacement rules execute the game. Rendering one frame takes about 180 seconds across five machines.
Aug 8
Dengeki Hobby Web's Amazon hobby new arrival ranking for July 30, 2026 places TAMASHII NATIONS' S.H.Figuarts Doctor Doom from Avengers: Doomsday at number one, ahead of a Precure toy and a Dragon Ball Super figure. The list covers ten in-stock items across figures, model kits, and collectibles.
Aug 7
Mark Russinovich, CTO of Microsoft Azure, released DoomPaint on GitHub on July 21. The software runs the 1993 FPS DOOM at its original 35 frames per second through Microsoft Paint. It uses ViZDoom for the game engine and Windows mechanisms like OLE and low-level key hooks to paste frames and capture input.
Aug 7
A programmer named Artem Lytkin has created 'doom-regex', a project that runs the classic FPS DOOM using only regular expressions. The entire machine state is encoded in a 96.6 MB string, and 544 replacement rules process it step by step. Each frame takes about three minutes, making real-time play impractical.
Aug 7
Chris Evans, returning as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, told Entertainment Weekly that Marvel Studios approached him multiple times after Avengers: Endgame. He heard at least a dozen pitches over eight years, but none felt right until Robert Downey Jr.'s return as Doctor Doom made everything click.
Aug 7
Hot Toys displayed seven 1/6 scale prototype figures for Avengers: Doomsday at Comic-Con International 2026 in San Diego. The lineup includes Doctor Doom as the main villain, five X-Men characters, and a Sentinel. Prototypes are in development and awaiting license approval, with prices to be announced later.
Jul 26
Space Rock Games and UNIKAT Label released Doomsday Diner on Steam on July 24, 2026. The game is a management simulation set in a post-apocalyptic world where the player runs the only operating hot dog stand. Customers order eccentric hot dogs, and the kitchen uses physics simulation, causing unexpected incidents during cooking. Players must complete orders within a time limit while also fending off raiders who attack the shop for profit. The player can use a gun to deal with raiders but must continue cooking at the same time. After closing, the player cleans the shop, including disposing of thug corpses. Money earned from sales can upgrade cooking equipment and weapons for more efficient management. The game is priced at 1,000 yen on Steam, with a 15% launch discount to 850 yen running until August 7, 2026. User reviews have praised the BGM and art style, with some comparing the atmosphere to Fallout and Borderlands.
Jul 18
The expansion DLC 'Revelations' for DOOM: The Dark Ages launched on July 8, 2026, and has received high review scores across platforms, with Metascores of 89 on PC, 90 on PS5, and 91 on Xbox Series X. Critics praise the new Chain Spear weapon, the level design, and the story, calling it the culmination of the recent trilogy. Backtracking drew some criticism.
Jul 13
A YouTube channel released a video on July 10, 2026, claiming to run DOOM on the platform. The video allows free camera movement using WASD on PC, but shooting and movement are automated, creating a rail shooter experience. Enemies appear and fall automatically, and the atmosphere of the original game is recreated. The project is a technical curiosity rather than a full port.
Jul 6
Microsoft's Xbox division is undergoing a large-scale restructuring that will cut approximately 3,200 jobs over the next year, part of a broader layoff of about 4,800 employees across the company. As part of the reorganization, ZeniMax Media will shift its strategy to focus on major franchises including Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein, according to a Bloomberg report cited by multiple outlets. The restructuring has hit id Software, the studio behind DOOM and Quake, particularly hard. Reports from Game Developer and Game Informer, cited by GIGAZINE and GameSpark, indicate that roughly half of id Software's staff has been laid off, with former Bethesda executive Jeff Gardiner reporting 95 layoffs out of an estimated 185 employees. Veteran developers including principal concept artist Colin Geller, animator Chris Street, and principal programmer Dustin Land have confirmed their departures. The quality assurance department was reportedly devastated. Arkane Studios in Lyon is also under review, with Microsoft considering strategic options including a sale or spin-out, though French labor laws may slow the process. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees in an internal memo that no announced first-party titles will be cancelled.
Jul 1
id Software will release the campaign expansion 'DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations' on July 8 Japan time (July 7 local time). The DLC introduces the Chain Spear, a new weapon that functions as both a melee tool and a movement device with dash and grapple hook abilities. The expansion is structured in two layers: a base campaign of roughly 60 percent of the total playtime, followed by endgame content that makes up the remaining 40 percent. The base campaign includes four stages - Upper Hell, Ice Hell, Bone Hell, and Oceas - plus a hub called Sentinel. After clearing the final boss, players obtain a Master Key that unlocks endgame activities such as new routes through existing levels, high-difficulty challenge arenas called Crater Suit Encounters, a score-based Slayer Trial mode, playable classic DOOM levels, and endgame-specific upgrades. Clearing all endgame content allows access to an Uber Boss and four ultra-high-difficulty Master Arenas. The total playtime is estimated at 10 to 12 hours. Game director Hugo Martin said the DLC is 'the best DOOM experience we've ever made' and 'the culmination of the past 30 years.'
Jun 19
Bobby Prince, the composer behind the soundtracks of classic first-person shooters including 'Doom', 'Doom II', 'Wolfenstein 3D', 'Rise of the Triad', and 'Duke Nukem 3D', died on June 16, 2026. His work on the 'Doom' soundtrack was added to the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry in May 2026.
Jun 7
During the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 on June 8, id Software and Bethesda Softworks announced the large downloadable content Revelations for DOOM: The Dark Ages. The DLC will release on July 7, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The base game, a prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, launched in May 2025 and shifted the series' combat to a heavier, more strategic style, positioning the Doom Slayer as a tank. Revelations introduces a new weapon, the Chain Spear, which can stab enemies and function as a grappling hook for dynamic movement. The story takes the Slayer to an ice-covered world where, wounded and betrayed, he gains new powers with help from mysterious allies. The trailer shown at the event previewed new areas and enemies. The DLC is also listed for Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud.
Jun 2
The Russo Brothers posted a cryptic Instagram image of Latveria's coat of arms, hinting at a surprise related to 'Avengers: Doomsday' during their SXSW London appearance on June 2. The post tags Marvel Studios and the official Avengers account, fueling speculation that the surprise could be the first public trailer for the film.