DOOM: The Dark Ages gets an endless mode on November 16 for Revelations owners

DOOM: The Dark Ages is getting an endless combat challenge on November 16, and it sounds like the kind of mode that will test how long you can keep your nerve as well as your Slayer alive. Bethesda calls it Slaughter Mode, and each run mixes up the enemies, bosses and arenas you face.

There is an ownership requirement to check first. The update is included at no extra cost for players who own the Revelations expansion, the Premium Edition or the Premium Upgrade. Owning only the standard base game is not enough to qualify.

That distinction matters if you were about to buy the game for the new mode. Revelations and the Premium Upgrade require the base game, while the Premium Edition bundles the game and the qualifying content together.

An official image of combat from the base game, DOOM: The Dark Ages. Image: id Software / Bethesda Softworks

Bank your skulls or risk them for a bigger reward

In its announcement, Bethesda describes escalating rounds of randomized fights. Complete a round and you earn skulls, which can unlock rewards. Reach a checkpoint and the mode asks you to decide how much of that progress you want to put on the line.

Another base-game screenshot shows the player confronting enemies. Image: id Software / Bethesda Softworks

Choose Secure to protect your current skulls against death. Choose Risk It and your skull multiplier increases, giving you a chance to earn more during the run. The trade-off is straightforward: if you die while Risk It is active, you lose your unsecured skulls.

There is still a reason to push further even when a run ends badly. Bethesda says each completed checkpoint unlocks another starting point for future runs, so you can get back to later encounters sooner.

The armored Slayer in an official image from DOOM: The Dark Ages. Image: id Software / Bethesda Softworks

What the mode unlocks and who can play

Rewards include Slayer skins for use in Slaughter Mode, weapon skins that work across modes, and profile icons. Players can also unlock tracks from Andrew Hulshult’s IDKFA soundtrack for Slaughter Mode and the Ripatorium. Bethesda says weekly challenges will offer more opportunities to earn rewards.

If you already own Revelations or the qualifying upgrade, you will not need a separate Slaughter Mode purchase. For Xbox Series X players starting from scratch, the Xbox Series X Premium Edition is one qualifying option. Check the selected edition before ordering, since the standard edition alone does not include the same access.

I would check your library before buying anything: if you previously picked up the Premium Edition or Premium Upgrade, you may already have what you need. The mode arrives November 16; Bethesda has not specified a release time in the announcement.

The in-article screenshots show the base game and are not presented as Slaughter Mode footage. Image credit: id Software / Bethesda Softworks / Xbox.

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