There exist many an icon within video games spanning genre and platform. Characters linked to certain times, mindsets, and design philosophies that were common during development. One game that exists as a capsule of early-90s game design is Doom, from its revolutionary gameplay to even its starring character's name.
Since 1993, when Doom first released on PC, the demon slayer that took on the hordes of hell on the surface of Mars went by the simple moniker of "Doom Guy." The name has long been a debated issue by fans that often felt that the joking nature of the name emanated from Doom programmer John Carmack's feelings towards story in video games. With fans still wondering what the official name of the "Doom Guy" is, the man who helped created him has chimed in.
John Romero, the lead designer of Doom, finally addresses the legend when a fan on Twitter queried the official name of Doom's protagonist. With the fan citing some of the other supposed names for the character including "B.J. Blazkowicz," "Flynn Taggart," or "John Kane," Romero gave the definitive answer. Romero simply said that the Doom Guy's official, canonical name is none other than "Doom Guy."
That is the final puzzle solved as the Doom Guy will continue to be the Doom Guy. While this year's release of Doom Eternal sometimes refers to the character as the Doom Slayer, he still remains the Doom Guy in lore. While it might sound goofy to say, the lunacy of the Doom Guy's character allows the seemingly silly name to make much more sense. With a character so wildly overpowered and apathetic, he has become a common member of video game fantasy duels. A man whose brutality and physique knows no limits, and whose name still strikes fear.
While Romero's tweet is appreciated to the Doom purists, the developer doesn't just spend his time confirming classic lore from the revolutionary title. Romero continues to work within the industry, currently getting ready to release his latest project Empire of Sin which is an upcoming tactical mafia game. The game even has a more personal touch than just Romero's design stylings as Empire of Sin features John Romero's great-grandmother as a character.
With that, Romero finally confirms the much-debated facet of the lovable Doom Guy. This confirmation comes just over a week away from the Doom Guy's return in Doom Eternal's first story DLC. Doom Eternal's Ancient Gods DLC releases on October 20 and will provide more backstory for the destroyer of sin.
Doom Eternal is out now for the PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with plans to launch on PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series consoles later this year.