After Doom Eternal offered an explosive follow-up to its widely acclaimed 2016 predecessor earlier this year, the first thought on fans' minds was whether the game would get any additional story-content. Luckily, id Software got straight to work on bringing more Doom to fans before the year was out, with the first of a two-part DLC titled The Ancient Gods debuting today.
Opting to make the substantial addition to the original game a standalone release, The Ancient Gods will act as something of a follow-up to Eternal's story, seemingly tying up some of the game's loose ends. To celebrate the DLC's release, id Software has dropped a new launch trailer which shows off the kind of intense action players can expect when grabbing themselves a copy of the standalone Doom expansion today.
The trailer itself highlights a number of The Ancient Gods' new locations, including a futuristic settlement built over a raging sea, a forest that looks ripped from a fantasy film, and more of the heavenly environments the Doom Slayer blasted his way through at the tail end of Eternal's campaign. It also shows off a variety of new and returning enemies. In terms of fresh faces, it seems players will now tangle with a giant version of the game's sprouting tentacles, angelic sentinels, and even sharks, which the Doom Slayer will encounter while underwater.
As for returning foes, it seems most of the base game's enemies will return, including the shielded Doom Hunters and the notoriously challenging Marauders. The trailer also seems to highlight some of the game's bosses, including a demonic winged creature that fires a barrage of magical ranged attacks. The trailer ends on what appears to be a hint towards the DLC's central antagonist, as a disembodied voice similar to that of VEGA or Samuel Hayden from the main campaign leaves a chilling warning for the Doom Slayer. Suddenly, the camera cuts to the back of a shirtless figure bathed in angelic yellow light, as a demonic symbol flashes on their torso.
Overall, it seems The Ancient Gods is going to be a substantial slice of exhilarating Doom Eternal content with some brand new story revelations for longtime fans. Seeing as the main campaign left some huge questions regarding the Doom Slayer's AI companions, it definitely seems as though The Ancient Gods is primed to answer them while offering the same slick shooting and over the top violence that made the series such an iconic staple.
Doom Eternal is available for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia, with Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X versions in development. The Ancient Gods: Part 1 is available now.