Bethesda and id Software have announced via their official Facebook account that Doom Eternal, the upcoming follow up to Doom (2016), has been pushed out of 2019 to a March 20th, 2020 release date.
In their official post, id Software stressed the importance that polish and speed have in their gaming philosophy and have made the tough decision to miss the holiday season release window. This is an admirable move in this day and age of online updates, where a dev would be half-expected to launch a sloppy product to hit deadlines and then tune it up later. I applaud id Software for making a conscious decision to debut with their best possible product at launch.
To express their gratitude for fans patiently waiting for Doom Eternal, id Software is adding in some juicy bonuses that are sure to entice. An all new mode called Invasion will be added to the game that allows you to hop into another players game as a demon and wreak havoc on the Doom Slayer. Also added as a pre-order bonus is the classic Doom 64 which will be made playable on the Doom Eternal release date and available on all platforms.
These additions are more than enough to sweeten the pot and greatly appreciated, especially considering it was a move of good faith that id didn’t even need to make. There’s a lot to be said about the character of the developer that would willingly make the call to miss out on a marketable release window for the sake of a higher quality game and it’s a welcome change that I hope more developers take note of. I know that some fans may be upset to wait the additional four months, but my wallet and I are glad I can push back the purchase of Doom Eternal till after the holiday season.
