Doom: The Dark Ages' teeming hordes were inspired by Sparta's last stand in 300

Doom Slayer's new bulwark-tank design has taken inspiration from 300 and the Battle of Thermopylae where Sparta was overwhelmed by hordes of Persians.

Doom: The Dark Ages' teeming hordes were inspired by Sparta's last stand in 300
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TL;DR: Doom the Dark Ages, inspired by Frank Miller's works and Zack Snyder's 300, transforms the Doom Slayer into a mythical Spartan figure. Unlike Doom Eternal, it emphasizes grounded combat over platforming. Releasing May 15, 2025, it promises a cinematic, action-packed experience with demonic battles and a colossal Atlan mech.

Doom the Dark Ages takes inspiration from Frank Miller's iconic The Dark Knight and 300 graphic novels, and Doom Slayer is based around a larger-than-life mythical representation of Spartan fortitude during the Battle of Thermopylae.

Doom: The Dark Ages' teeming hordes were inspired by Sparta's last stand in 300 12
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If Doom Eternal was id's homage to Unreal-like movement schemes and verticality, then Doom the Dark Ages is more like Mech Warrior. Platforming is gone, and you'll no longer be flinging and zinging all over the map like you did in Eternal. In the Dark Ages, you're a walking wall of destruction and mayhem--a tank with an arsenal of raw destruction.

On the heels of yesterday's big Doom the Dark Ages gameplay reveal, id has been divulging new info on the game to give us a better idea of what to expect. According to id Software's Hugo Martin, the Dark Ages took direct inspiration from specific scenes in Zack Snyder's film 300.

In a recent interview with TheGamer, Martin said:

"Now you can stagger multiple enemies at once with these weapons of mass destruction, and then move through them. It's like Leonidas in the hot gates scene in 300 when he breaks the phalanx and then there's that side shot in dilated time. He's taking out multiple dudes first with a spear, then with a Spartan sword and shield.

"That was a big source of inspiration. I showed that to the team and I wanted the game to feel like that."

And like other Doom games, The Dark Ages aims to keep the over-the-top ridiculousness you'd find in an action movie in July.

The game will be "a summer blockbuster event with everything on the line," Martin tells IGN.

Doom the Dark Ages releases May 15, 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Check below for more info:

Doom: The Dark Ages heralds the return of the unstoppable Doom Slayer in this upcoming single-player, dark fantasy action FPS from the legendary id Software.

The prequel to Doom (2016), Doom: The Dark Ages puts players behind the visor of the mighty Slayer as they battle demonic hordes in grounded, hard-hitting combat inside an epic, cinematic tale of gods, kings and monsters. Supplementing his superhuman skills and over-the-top arsenal, the Slayer will also call upon his colossal Atlan mech to brawl with titanic beasts and retake the skies aboard his ferocious steed: a jet-fueled, cybernetic war dragon.