GameTimeline

Release & story order

DOOM timeline

DOOM from the 1993 shareware original through Doom Eternal, The Ancient Gods, and Doom: The Dark Ages (2025)—US release dates, the Doom Slayer continuity vs the separate Doom 3 reimagining, and FAQ for Final Doom, Doom 64, and where to start.

Updated June 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When id Software and Bethesda shipped each mainline chapter—PC shareware (1993) through Doom: The Dark Ages (2025). Mobile RPGs, Doom VFR, and SnapMap-only content are FAQ-only, not numbered rows here.

  • Classic nostalgia → Release order from 1993 shareware through Doom 64, then jump to 2016 on modern hardware
  • Modern action only → DOOM (2016) → Doom Eternal → The Ancient Gods—skip classic if you want gunplay first
  • Full Slayer lore → Story tab: classic duo → Dark Ages → 2016 → Eternal → Ancient Gods
  • Doom 3 fans → Optional branch on Story order—does not connect to the 2016 reboot
Story order tips

Two main story worlds on this page. The Doom Slayer saga: classic DOOM → DOOM II → (optional Doom 64) → Doom: The Dark Ages → DOOM (2016) → Doom Eternal → The Ancient Gods. Doom 3 and Resurrection of Evil are a separate reimagining of the Mars incident—not the same continuity as the 2016 reboot.

  • Slayer core: DOOM (1993) → DOOM II → Doom: The Dark Ages → DOOM (2016) → Doom Eternal → The Ancient Gods (Part One then Part Two)
  • Doom 64 fits after DOOM II for completionists—id treats it as classic-era epilogue material
  • Doom 3 is its own timeline—same Mars idea, different story details; play separately from Slayer rows
  • The Ancient Gods requires the Eternal base game—Story order places both parts after the main Eternal campaign

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. DOOM

    DOOM

    PCConsole portsFPSMainlineClassic

    id's shareware breakthrough—Phobos, Deimos, and Hell.

    Overview
    Defined the FPS genre—fast movement, modding, and networked deathmatch.
    In-game setting
    Episodes on Martian moons; Doomguy vs demons. Ultimate DOOM (1995) adds a fourth episode.
    Should you play it?
    Start of the Slayer saga in story order. Still playable inside id/Bethesda bundles.
    Release date
    US PC shareware December 10, 1993. Countless ports; buy via DOOM Classic on modern stores.
  2. DOOM II: Hell on Earth

    DOOM II: Hell on Earth

    PCFPSMainlineClassic

    Demons reach Earth—the Icon of Sin finale.

    Overview
    Super shotgun, larger levels, and co-op on one map—no episode breaks.
    In-game setting
    Direct sequel to DOOM; sets up later Slayer lore referenced in 2016/Eternal.
    Should you play it?
    Essential classic chapter before Dark Ages or the 2016 reboot in story order.
    Release date
    US PC launch September 30, 1994.
  3. Final Doom

    Final Doom

    PCPS1FPSExpansionClassic

    TNT: Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment—official map packs.

    Overview
    Two community episode sets published as a retail product—not new engine chapters.
    In-game setting
    Side missions in the classic engine; no required Slayer plot beats.
    Should you play it?
    Optional for release historians—skip on Story order unless you want every classic disc.
    Release date
    US PC launch June 17, 1996.
  4. Doom 64

    Doom 64

    N64PCSwitchPS4Xbox OneFPSMainlineClassic

    Dark, moody Nintendo 64 take—Mother Demon on a rebuilt Hell.

    Overview
    New art and lighting on N64; later remastered for modern platforms (2020).
    In-game setting
    Classic-era epilogue after DOOM II in many fan and id-adjacent orderings.
    Should you play it?
    Optional but short—Story order after DOOM II, before Dark Ages.
    Release date
    US N64 launch December 10, 1997. 2020 remaster on PC and consoles.
  5. DOOM 3

    DOOM 3

    PCXboxFPSMainlineDoom 3 era

    Horror-forward UAC Mars base—flashlight and slower dread.

    Overview
    id Tech 4 showcase—tight corridors, voice logs, and demon invasion reboot tone.
    In-game setting
    Reimagines the Mars incident; separate from the 2016 Slayer continuity.
    Should you play it?
    Own branch on Story order—not a required step before DOOM (2016).
    Release date
    US PC launch August 3, 2004. BFG Edition (2012) bundles Resurrection of Evil.
  6. DOOM

    DOOM

    PCPS4Xbox OneFPSMainlineSlayer saga

    id Software reboot—glory kills and the return of the Doom Slayer.

    Overview
    Arena shooter revival—push-forward combat and SnapMap on modern hardware.
    In-game setting
    Continues from classic DOOM lore decades later—same Slayer, not Doom 3's marine.
    Should you play it?
    Best modern entry point after Dark Ages on Story order—or skip straight here for gameplay.
    Release date
    Worldwide launch May 13, 2016.
  7. DOOM VFR
    Optional

    DOOM VFR

    PSVRPC VRFPSOptionalVR

    Virtual-reality spin-off—abbreviated demon gauntlet.

    Overview
    Standalone VR campaign—not a mainline sequel to DOOM (2016).
    In-game setting
    Optional side experience; no required Slayer plot beats.
    Should you play it?
    Skip for story canon—VR owners only.
    Release date
    US launch December 1, 2017.
  8. DOOM Eternal

    DOOM Eternal

    PCPS4Xbox OneSwitchFPSMainlineSlayer saga

    Earth invasion—dash, grapple, and the Sentinel backstory.

    Overview
    Expanded mobility and lore for the Slayer; multiplayer Battlemode at launch.
    In-game setting
    Direct sequel to DOOM (2016)—Story order continues immediately.
    Should you play it?
    Play after 2016 reboot; Ancient Gods DLC follows the base campaign.
    Release date
    US launch March 20, 2020. Upgraded ports on PS5/Xbox Series later.
  9. The Ancient Gods — Part One

    The Ancient Gods — Part One

    PCPS4Xbox OneFPSExpansionSlayer saga

    Eternal expansion—UAC Sentinel Hammer and Hell cultists.

    Overview
    Standalone-sized campaign DLC—not a separate engine sequel.
    In-game setting
    Story continues Eternal's ending—requires base Eternal.
    Should you play it?
    Story order after Eternal main campaign, before Part Two.
    Release date
    Worldwide launch October 20, 2020.
  10. The Ancient Gods — Part Two

    The Ancient Gods — Part Two

    PCPS4Xbox OneFPSExpansionSlayer saga

    Eternal finale DLC—Immora and the Dark Lord confrontation.

    Overview
    Concludes the Eternal arc before Dark Ages expanded the past.
    In-game setting
    Capstone of the 2016–2021 Slayer story run on this page.
    Should you play it?
    Finish Eternal saga here before Dark Ages prequel on Story order—or play Dark Ages after classic only.
    Release date
    Worldwide launch March 18, 2021.
  11. DOOM: The Dark Ages

    DOOM: The Dark Ages

    PCPS5Xbox Series X|SFPSMainlineSlayer saga

    Medieval-tech prequel—mecha dragon and the Slayer's earlier war.

    Overview
    Mix of melee, shields, and classic speed—id's prequel to DOOM (2016).
    In-game setting
    Story slots between classic DOOM II era and the 2016 reboot in Slayer chronology.
    Should you play it?
    Latest mainline row as of June 2026—Story order before 2016, after classic duo.
    Release date
    Worldwide launch May 15, 2025.

FAQ

Release vs story order, classic vs Slayer saga, Doom 3 branch, Dark Ages prequel placement, Eternal DLC, and spin-offs.

Release order

Release order is when each game shipped in the US (1993–2025). Story order follows the Doom Slayer continuity id Software uses in the 2016 reboot era: classic DOOM → DOOM II → Doom: The Dark Ages → DOOM (2016) → Doom Eternal → The Ancient Gods. Doom 3 is a separate reimagining on its own Story branch. Use Release to feel franchise history; use Story for Slayer lore sequence.

Gameplay-first → DOOM (2016) then Doom Eternal. Lore-first Slayer path → classic DOOM + DOOM II (cheap in bundles), then Dark Ages, then 2016 → Eternal → Ancient Gods. Horror fans → Doom 3 branch alone—it does not lead into 2016. Skip Final Doom and Doom VFR unless you want every disc.

Story & continuities

No. Doom 3 (2004) is a horror reimagining of a Mars demon invasion with a different marine and story beats. DOOM (2016) continues the classic 1993–1994 Slayer decades later—the same Doomguy from the original games, not the Doom 3 protagonist. Both use UAC and Mars, but this page treats them as separate story worlds.

Doom: The Dark Ages (2025) is a prequel in the Slayer timeline—set after the classic DOOM / DOOM II era and before DOOM (2016). On Story order: classic duo → optional Doom 64 → Dark Ages → 2016 → Eternal → The Ancient Gods. It shipped last in release order but sits earlier in fiction.

Remasters & bundles

Optional & spin-offs

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.