Doom Eternal is one of id Software's biggest releases of the past few years, expanding on the concepts found in 2016's Doom reboot with new mechanics, story elements, and a whole lot more. But one reference, in particular, remains unexplained, and as it turns out, not even the developers are entirely sure of the Easter egg's origin, but there is a theory.
During a QuakeCon at Home live stream, Doom Eternal developers discussed on of the game's most well-hidden Easter eggs, an alligator hidden in a sewer during on of Doom Eternal's platforming sections. Bethesda UK Community Manager Neil Gorton brought up the Easter egg, stating that it had received little attention from the community.
From there, Higher Power band member Max Harper comments on their theory for the alligator's origin, saying that it's possible that the Easter egg could be a reference to Resident Evil 2's alligator. For those unfamiliar, in both Resident Evil 2 and Resident 2 Remake, a massive alligator chases Leon through the sewer, one of the more action-packed moments of the game.
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This isn't the de facto answer, but it is one of the best theories at the moment. It's also possible that the Easter egg is simply a reference to sewer gators, which are something of an urban legend in the United States. Still, it being a reference to RE2 is a bit more exciting, and while it may not be one that fans cling to, it is interesting nonetheless.
There's still more in the works for Doom Eternal, so fans may soon find more Easter eggs with unknown origins. New Doom Eternal DLC was announced during QuakeCon, which should provide fans of the shooter with more content to look forward to. It's still one of the biggest triple-a games to release this year, and the extra content may revitalize interest in it.
Easter egg hunting is one of the most entertaining things to do in video games, and it is a bit strange that so few people have discovered the alligator. As Gorton points out, there have been few videos on the subject, which may explain why its origin is still unknown. The Resident Evil 2 connection is one that many may not have considered, however, and may soon become the leading theory.
Regardless, it's yet another thing fans of Doom Guy can connect within the game, and considering how iconic the character is despite how few words he speaks, that connection is pretty valuable.
Doom Eternal is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. A Switch release is planned for the future.