DOOM Lore Explained (& Simplified)

DOOM has been a lauded series for almost the entirety of its multi-decade run. It helped pioneer and popularize the first-person shooter genre, leading to many titles that tried to ape its well-tuned and chaotic action. But even though it’s mostly known for its demon-slaying gunplay, DOOM also has an incredible amount of lore that has more or less continued from the 1993 original all the way to 2025’s DOOM: The Dark Ages. A lot of it is hidden in codex files or subtly glossed over in cutscenes, but it’s all there and paints a picture of a vast world that goes beyond blasting Cacodemons on Mars.

It’s a surprisingly long and complicated universe with more than its share of retcons, unexplained parts, non-canon entries, and conflicting bits of information. Even the director of the latest trilogy, Hugo Martin, is fairly open about DOOM’s plot holes. He also noted in that same interview that id Software tried to connect 2016 to DOOM 64, but 2016 is still a reboot, further complicating things. And while an official lore bible may or may not be on the way, Martin said he likes how some parts are up to interpretation, meaning players might have their own reads on DOOM’s backstory. With regards to all that, here’s a primer on DOOM’s lore, the timeline, and the major players.

The DOOM Timeline in Chronological Order

1. DOOM
2. DOOM 2
3. DOOM 64
4. DOOM: The Dark Ages
5. DOOM VFR
6. DOOM (2016)
7. DOOM: Eternal

DOOM 3 is not included here because it is widely viewed as non-canon. Not only do the newer games not focus on its events (outside of a few Easter eggs), the dates in DOOM 3 don’t quite fit in with what the latest trilogy — 2016, Eternal, and The Dark Ages — has gone with. It is implied that there are multiple universes and timelines within DOOM, but DOOM 3 doesn’t seem to take place in the “core” DOOM universe.

It’s all a little vague, so a faction of players even view DOOM 3 as a retelling of the first game or think that the Doomguy from DOOM 3 is a completely different character that hadn’t been in the series previously. Some view DOOM 3 as a prequel, while others call it a sequel to DOOM 2. A tablet in DOOM 3 even depicts a character that looks strikingly like the original DOOM box art, further implying they are different people or take place in different universes. Unused voice lines also for Eternal also directly point to different dimensions, but, again, they are unused, so they aren’t canon.

When prompted directly on if DOOM 3 was canon, Martin stated it was “tough” and that he probably misspoke when previously saying it was. However, he said the newer trilogy took visual aspects from all parts of DOOM, including DOOM 3. Martin also said in that same stream that the new trilogy tried to pick up after DOOM 64 and 2016 was a reboot, which could also be interpreted as wiping away some of the series’ storyline pre-64. However, he noted in a different livestream that id cherry-picked its favorite DOOM lore from all sorts of sources — including comics and other DOOM installments — for the rebooted trilogy. 

The mobile games Mighty DOOM, DOOM RPG, and DOOM RPG 2 are also all widely viewed as not canon. There’s also a slight bit of disagreement on whether or not the Doomguy in DOOM and DOOM 2 are the same given how the wording on some websites and manuals sound conflicting, but many agree it is, especially after Martin confirmed as much during a livestream. There are also some small inconsistencies with DOOM VFR — the 2016 game puts the protagonist’s (who isn’t the Doom Slayer) corpse in a different place and slightly changes his name — but the events more or less work with the new trilogy.

DOOM’s Major Characters

Doomguy/Doom Marine/Doom Slayer

He goes by many names, but Doomguy is the main character in most DOOM games. Sometimes his names are interchangeable, while the “Slayer” part comes at a certain point in time seen in the newer trilogy. And even though he is occasionally said to be related to Wolfenstein’s hero B.J. Blazkowicz, Martin said he didn’t know if that was still the case and refused to answer the question in regards to the relation to this newer canon.

Doomguy started out as a normal marine who got relegated to duty on Mars’ moons after disobeying an order to shoot civilians. When the planet’s moons got invaded by demons, Doomguy got to blasting and held back the demonic horde, saving the day. He did the same when the demons came to Earth in the second game.

When slaying Hell’s forces in DOOM 64, Doomguy decided to stay behind in Hell and rip and tear to preemptively take care of the next invasion. Spending an undisclosed time killing, he eventually came across the Night Sentinels on Argent D’Nur and was taken in. In a bloodthirsty rage, Doomguy excelled during his training with the Night Sentinels and fought in their arena. His skill caused him to rise in the ranks, going from an outsider to the Night Sentinel’s best soldier.

His powers were juiced up when the Maykr’s leader, the Khan Maykr, envisioned a backstabber in the ranks, which were dark thoughts whispered to her from the Dark Lord. Because of this, the Khan Maykr ordered the construction of the Divinity Machine — a coffin-like device meant to find the betrayer through a vague “cleansing” process. But being a plan hatched from the Dark Lord (that also uses some of the Dark Lord’s power), the machine made her best soldiers go mad; a win for the fallen god, since this helped disarm some of the Khan Maykr’s best warriors. In essence, she fell for his trap.

In an attempt to protect the Maykrs against the Khan Maykr’s poor rule, Samur Maykr, a Seraph (loyal assistant to The Father and Khan Maykr), led Doomguy to the machine. However, Samur reversed its polarity to empower Doomguy instead of draining him and let him ascend to the legendary killer he’s known as in the later games. This is when he became the Doom Slayer.

After many battles, the Doom Slayer and the Night Sentinels were lured into Hell by the High Priests of the Order of the Deag, which wound up being a trap. The High Priests defected to the Dark Lord’s side and cut off the portals back, leading to a slaughter and the capture of the Doom Slayer. He wouldn’t be awakened until the intro to the 2016 game.

The Dark Ages saw the Doom Slayer being used as a mind-controlled weapon of the Maykrs, who were used to help the Night Sentinels, but he eventually broke free of this control. After being awakened in 2016, he showed a clear disdain for his “handler,” Samuel Hayden, only pledging to kill demons at all costs.

The Dark Lord was also technically not wrong in that there was a backstabber in the midst, as the Doom Slayer used the abilities from the Divinity Machine to take the Khan Maykr down in Eternal. However, this also ended up spelling doom for the Dark Lord, as the Doom Slayer used these gifts to slay the Dark Lord in Eternal’s final DLC. The Dark Lord tried to use the Doom Slayer as a means for revenge against the Maykrs, and while he technically succeeded, the plan also blew back in the Dark Lord’s face since the Doom Slayer cannot be truly controlled.

After taking down the Dark Lord in Eternal’s DLC, the Doom Slayer passed out because he was intricately connected to the Dark Lord since he was placed in the Divinity Machine that harnessed a bit of the Dark Lord’s power. He was then placed within a coffin for future use, echoing the beginning of the 2016 game.

Davoth/The Dark Lord

Davoth is, for the most part, most comparable to the Christian biblical version of Satan, but is obviously twisted to fit the game’s lore. His backstory can seem somewhat confusing at first since the Maykrs have lied about him in order to turn people against him.

The true story is that Davoth was the first being and created his land, Jekkad, with his unbridled power. When witnessing how his creations would wither and die, he wanted to figure out a way to pass on his immortality to them. In order to research this, he created a realm called Urdak and the Maykrs, a hivemind race who would do the heavy lifting in this process.

After years of progress, the Maykrs concluded their successful research on immortality was too great a power for Davoth, who had noticeably devolved during this search in his crazed lust for immortality and became a tyrant. The Maykrs tricked Davoth and locked him in his own realm, Jekkad. Jekkad then became what is considered to be Hell, and Davoth stewed in his hatred at the betrayal felt by his own creations and turned into the Dark Lord. Jekkad’s beings also then decayed and turned into demons.

While finding small ways to get around the barrier put up by the Maykrs, he was still trapped in Hell. However, when battling an unnamed Maykr within Hell, said Maykr was able to rip out Davoth’s life sphere — an orb with his essence — and absorb some of its power. This life sphere was then stored in Ingmore’s Sanctum and the Maykr, now with its newfound power, became The Father.

The Doom Slayer ventured to Ingmore’s Sanctum in Eternal’s The Ancient Gods Part 1 DLC in order to give a body back to Davoth’s life sphere. This is so that he could finally give form to the evil that has troubled him for so long and put an end to it. And once killed, every demon outside of Hell disintegrated, as was the plan. Davoth, however, more or less got most of his wishes fulfilled, given how The Father’s life sphere was shattered and Khan Maykr was slain.

The Father/VEGA

If Davoth is Satan, then The Father is DOOM’s analogous to the Christian version of God. The Father is not seen as readily as Davoth in DOOM, but he’s referenced more than a few times, especially in the codex. His life sphere was the golden ball that the Doom Slayer crushed in The Ancient Gods Part 2 DLC of DOOM Eternal. 

The false version of the story told by the Maykrs has The Father as the creator of all things, not Davoth. Fearing Davoth’s quest for immortality would threaten the realms, the Maykrs sealed Davoth away in Hell. The Father then battled Davoth and stole his life sphere. Only some of that is true, as it is mostly a twisted version of what happened with Davoth. This lie is meant to make The Father seem all-good, while painting Davoth as more evil. 

After creating many realms upon gaining his new power and growing tired of existence, The Father requested his trusted Seraph Samur Maykr to be turned into a life sphere and put within Urdak, where he could still somewhat communicate with the Maykrs. He was also still able to serve his followers and pick new Khan Maykrs in this form. However, this came with the stipulation that he be moved from Urdak if the demons grew in power to a secret place in order to protect everyone and be safe from Davoth’s grasp. After the demons did indeed get stronger, he was moved out of the demons’ reach to Ingmore’s Sanctum, keeping him safe from the opposition but also unable to pick a new Khan Makr and guide the Maykrs.

id Software has yet to fully show what The Father looks like, as he is portrayed as a light figure with no features. It is also unclear who the victorious Maykr was before they became The Father.

VEGA is the AI system the Doom Slayer uses throughout 2016 and, thanks to a clever data backup, Eternal. It guided the player through both games. And while it may seem strange to have these two in the same section, they’re intimately linked. In a strange twist, VEGA turns out to be a virtual version of The Father. 

The Father told Samur Maykr to go to the human realms to help humanity create Argent Energy, the evil power source central in 2016. Part of The Father was turned into this assistant so he could help oversee Argent Energy production while also being masked from the Dark Lord’s eyes. VEGA helped run the Mars UAC facility, as players could see while going through the 2016 game. The aforementioned data backup also ensured VEGA is around in Eternal to power the Slayer’s ship. VEGA also didn’t know he was The Father until Eternal’s DLC, something he asked about in Eternal’s base campaign.

Samuel Hayden/Samur Maykr

Samuel Hayden is a major player in 2016 and Eternal, and gets a lot of direct facetime in 2016. He’s a cunning robot that works with the Doom Slayer to stop the demon invasion while keeping his own goals in mind.

However, much like VEGA, Hayden is more than he initially appears to be. Hayden was initially an important character called Samur Maykr, as is the job for the loyal Seraphim (plural of “Seraph”) who serve The Father and Khan Maykr. Samur gained prominence by sticking by The Father’s side and being loyal. He was loyal to The Father enough to trust Samur to turn him into a life sphere and then hide the orb when the demons grew too strong. 

Samur was also loyal to the Khan Maykr, but had a feeling the Khan Maykr would lead the Maykrs to ruin. This was not an internal hunch but one whispered to him by the Dark Lord. As such, Samur took in Doomguy and placed him into the Divinity Machine to give him special powers as protection against the Khan’s bad leadership.

The Khan Maykr saw this as a betrayal, and this friction helped Samur flee to Earth, something that aligned with The Father wanting Samur to help the humans discover Argent Energy. This is where Samur created VEGA from The Father’s consciousness. 

Samur then went to Earth, cloned a human (Samuel Hayden) to blend in, put his consciousness in that human, and rose in the ranks of the UAC, giving him a link to a company that would, in alignment with The Father’s will, help extract Argent Energy. After a cancer diagnosis, he requested the creation of a machine body, the one seen in 2016. Since he was technically not a Maykr in this form, this allowed him to enter Hell, which led to Hayden finding the coffin that held the Doom Slayer.

Hayden’s robotic form was nearly destroyed while trying to help Earth fend off the demons before Eternal. However, his torso was saved and the Doom Slayer was able to plug Hayden into his ship so he could boot back up. Hayden helped the Doom Slayer save the day in Eternal and then guided the demon killer to a facility that held a Seraph’s body, someone Hayden claimed could help.

This is when it became clear that Hayden was the Seraph. The Doom Slayer ignored the Samur’s advice on reinstituting The Father’s life sphere. Destroying it destroyed The Father’s essence, the lack of which caused the Seraph to Transfigure and turn into an ugly beast. While on the brink of death at the Doom Slayer’s hand, The Father somehow saved the corrupted Seraph by teleporting him away to some unknown place.

DOOM’s Minor Characters

High Priests of the Order of the Deag/Hell Priests

These three priests — Deag Grav, Deag Ranak, and Deag Nilox — once preached the gospel of the Maykrs. At the behest of the Khan Maykr, they studied the demons for the Hell Essence, which led to the creation of the better and stronger Argent Energy. Argent Energy corrupted these three priests, and they switched sides and did the Dark Lord’s bidding. Unbeknownst to the Night Sentinels, the priests led the Night Sentinels into a trap during the Sentinel civil war, which led to the capture of the Doom Slayer. These three Hell Priests were key in Eternal’s storyline since they facilitated Hell’s invasion of Earth and were, one by one, killed by the Doom Slayer. Ancient Belias is another Hell Priest that shows up alongside Prince Azhrak’s side in The Dark Ages, but not much is known about him.

King Novik

Once the commander of the Night Sentinels and former king of Argent D’Nur, Novik can be seen briefly in Eternal in spectral form, but plays a sizable role in The Dark Ages, as players see him command his army. Thira is also his daughter, who is able to harness her hidden Wraith power in The Dark Ages.

Prince Azhrak

Prince Ahzrak is the prince of Hell and is the main antagonist of The Dark Ages. His goal is to capture the mythical Heart of Argent in order to gain great power. He achieves his goal through cunning wit and intimidation — he coerces a priest and the Maykr’s bishop to get the upper hand — in addition to his command over Hell’s vast forces. Even with the powerful heart in tow, the Doom Slayer ripped and tore through Azhrak at the end of The Dark Ages, ending his reign.

Dr. Olivia Pierce

Dr. Olivia Pierce is a powerful scientist in the UAC and the primary antagonist of 2016. After her knowledge gained the attention of Samuel Hayden, she was able to nab a spot high up in the UAC and got sent to Mars to study ancient artifacts. The key artifact here was the Helix Stone, which held information about Argent Energy. The stone corrupted her, leaving her open to the Dark Lord’s influence. He offered her a cure for her pain in exchange for command over the Mars facility. She agreed, along with the Hell-loving cult she started, dooming the entire place. The Dark Lord turned her into the Spider Mastermind near the end of 2016, a creature with a short existence that ended with a BFG shot through the mouth.

Valen the Betrayer

Valen is the scarred Night Sentinel seen in Eternal and The Dark Ages. He is a skilled warrior who trained Doomguy after the Night Sentinels found him wandering Argent D’Nur. He’s known as the Betrayer because he sold out the Night Sentinels in a futile attempt to resurrect his dead son, Marok (who is also seen alive in The Dark Ages). He struck a deal with one of the High Priests and allowed them to open a portal to Hell right in the middle of Argent D’Nur, which was devastating. Marok was never truly resurrected, either, as it was a trick. He came back in the form of the titanic demon, Icon of Sin, the final boss of Eternal. Upon learning of the Icon of Sin’s defeat, Valen gave the Doom Slayer a Sentinel Hammer in Eternal’s DLC.

The Wraiths

While technically a somewhat major faction, Wraiths are the most mysterious since they’re dead, sleeping, or in the background. They were the old gods from the Cosmic Realm, which made its debut in The Dark Ages, that created the Argenta people. The Argentas worshipped before them before the Maykrs came into the picture (and whom some defected back to after the Maykr’s trickery that sparked a civil war). The Wraiths were also aboard the massive World Spear that impaled Argent D’Nur, as it wasn’t a spear but a ship with Wraiths on it instead (which Valen held the key to before giving it to the High Priests in his fall from grace). Their energy is one-half of what’s required for Argent Energy. They are lightly touched on in various ways in each game in the newest DOOM trilogy, but it’s inevitable that they will play a big role in future DOOM games or expansions.

Kreed Maykr

A rotund Maykr bishop introduced in The Dark Ages, Kreed Maykr was the “owner” of the Doom Slayer during some of his time with the Night Sentinels. Kreed kept him on a tight leash and only let the mind-controlled killer free on occasion to help the Argenta warriors. This “arrangement” eventually snapped and marked the end of the corrupt Maykr. His secret deal with Prince Azhrak to save his skin (and all the slug-like creatures crawling around him under his robe) did not work out well for him, as the Doom Slayer sawed him in half because of it. His betrayal marked a key point in the discord between the Argenta people and the Maykrs, something the Maykrs claimed was a one-off thing (which was not true, given how he was under the secret direction of the Khan Maykr).

Thira

Thira, Novik’s daughter, is a Night Sentinel and plays a vital role in The Dark Ages‘ story. While initially an innocuous side character, Thira discovered that she had a wealth of untapped Wraith powers at her disposal, making her the target for Azhrak and his forces. They were after her heart, which was revealed to be the mythical and all-powerful Heart of Argent. While Azhrak got ahold of her glowing, orb-like heart and gained considerable strength, she eventually got it back and was able to master her powers.

DOOM’s Important Places, Factions, and Terms

Jekkad and Urdak

Jekkad and Urdak are, ostensibly, Hell and heaven, respectively, if loosely interpreted from Christian biblical mythology. They’re not literal translations and are like Davoth and The Father being somewhat analogous to Satan and God.

Jekkad was once beautiful but became corrupted and hellish once the Maykrs locked Davoth inside. Urdak is not quite as close to heaven as Jekkad is to Hell. However, it is the home realm of the Maykrs. It is not a cloudy paradise, but instead a technologically powered world with plenty of big structures and leafy flora all set against a galactic backdrop.

Ingmore’s Sanctum, the small area where the Doom Slayer goes to pop The Father’s life sphere in Eternal’s DLC, was a sneak peek of Jekkad before it all literally went to Hell. As noted by Martin in a livestream, this small place was a place outside both realms where Davoth was when creating the other realms.

The Maykrs, Khan Maykrs, and Transfiguration

The Maykrs are angelic figures created by Davoth and were situated on Urdak. They share a hivemind, meaning it is easy to take commands from the Khan Maykr. They were gifted with long life spans and meant to find the secret of immortality in order to appease Davoth. They found it but refused to give it to their newly tyrannical creator, damning him to stay within Jekkad (which became Hell).

With Davoth out of the way, the Maykrs spread across the realm and got others to worship them, promising salvation after death in return. The Argenta were one such notable example of a species taking in these teachings. This new tech allowed the Argenta to prosper. The Maykrs were smart beings who mastered many pieces of technology, mainly the art of resurrection and how to boil one’s essence down into a life sphere. 

But while they live for thousands of years, they are not immortal. Once they get near death, their forms corrupt in a process known as Transfiguration. This turns them into more demonic beings and can be directly seen in the brutal Samur boss fighting in Eternal’s DLC. The Father’s energy, or Argent Energy in general, can help postpone this process.

The ruling Khan Maykr in Eternal had become obsessed with this process, a byproduct of her prolonged reign. The Father being absent and a sphere within the faraway Ingmore’s Sanctum meant he couldn’t pick a new leader. With each leader comes new knowledge and growth, meaning regression was inevitable if the same Khan Maykr stayed in power, as is what happened in Eternal. She then struck a deal with the Dark Lord in order to keep the Argent Energy flowing in both realms — something that required her to build secret facilities in Hell — which caused a civil war among the Sentinels when they found out. This change of heart meant the new anti-Maykr faction went back to worship the Wraiths, the gods that came to the Argentas before the Maykrs. The Argenta souls that had to fall and be tortured in the process to save her kind were a fine sacrifice to her.

When the Doom Slayer nixed the Wraith Energy she needed in 2016, she then focused on siphoning Earth’s population, leading to the events of Eternal. Her arrogance damned Urdak (as she accidentally allowed for demons to flow in), nearly wiped out Earth, and ended up putting her in the sights of the Doom Slayer. The Dark Lord was technically right, as she would be taken down by a chosen one, but her actions enabled that and led to her and her kind’s eventual destruction. The Maykrs’ fate is still somewhat up in the air after Eternal, as they are, without access to The Father or Argent Energy, more vulnerable and not nearly as divine.

The Argentas, Night Sentinels, and Argent D’Nur

The Argentas are the human-like people of Argent D’Nur, a planet that players visit frequently in some form over the span of the newest trilogy. It’s a planet that was able to thrive due to the Maykrs and the Argenta’s worship of them after first being seeded by the Wraiths, the gods the Argenta prayed to before the Maykrs came. While it thrived under Maykrs — as most prominently seen in the capital Taras Nabad, a level in Eternal — Maykr corruption and the demons caused it to fall. The civil war, spurred by the discovery of the true source of Argent Energy — Argenta suffering and torment — and the demon invasion facilitated by Valen the Betrayer and the High Priests, irrevocably damaged the city.

The Night Sentinels are a powerful order of Argent D’Nur’s warriors and can be seen heavily throughout the trilogy. These knights and shining armor were first created to protect the innocent and guard the Wraiths sleeping in their ship, tasks they handled with powerful blue weapons forged from Wraith Energy. Doomguy eventually rose within their ranks, thanks to his proficiency in the gladiatorial arena. Doomguy’s induction in this order gave the Night Sentinels a better chance at winning the war against Hell. 

During one expedition into Hell, the Night Sentinels witnessed the production of Argent Energy and reported their findings back to Argent D’Nur. Some saw the prosperity through this fuel source to be worth the pain, while others viewed it as a wretched form of sacrifice. This sparked the aforementioned civil war, which led to the end of the Night Sentinels. Those who saw it as treason and went back to following the Wraiths were sent to an ambush within Hell orchestrated by the treasonous High Priests. The order fell, and the Doom Slayer was captured, thus, as evidenced by the numerous armored corpses throughout Hell, fatally wounding the Night Sentinels. The ones that fell on the side of the Maykrs became Eternal’s controversial Marauder enemy type, while some went into hiding, only to come back out for the final push in Eternal’s DLC.

Argent Energy

Argent Energy is a resource brought forth in 2016 that carries through the new trilogy (although only very sparsely in The Dark Ages). It is a combination of Wraith Energy and Hell Essence that is created through torture. It powers Hell, Urdak, and, later on, Earth, the latter of which something 2016 deals with heavily. The Doom Slayer cuts off Earth’s supply of this corrupted energy, but Hayden is able to use the Crucible (the laser sword he has at the end of 2016) to harness manmade Argent Energy. 

The Khan Maykr’s approval of Argent Energy caused a schism in the ranks of the Night Sentinels, as some took issue with the heinous methods it takes to harness, while others looked at the prosperity it has brought them. This led to a civil war that ended when the corrupted High Priests of the Order of the Deag tricked the anti-Khan Makyr crowd by telling them to go after the Argent Energy machines in Hell. It ended up being an ambush with no way back, which led to the Doom Slayer’s capture and imprisonment, one he doesn’t break out of until 2016.

Every faction has a hand or interest in Argent Energy — even the Doom Slayer collects Argent capsules as upgrades in 2016 — and this is why it is so central to the newer series. Its benefits are great for those who can wield it, but it all comes at a heavy price, mirroring the real-world’s dependence on fossil fuels.

The Cosmic Realm

Introduced in The Dark Ages, the Cosmic Realm is the Lovecraftian universe of unspeakable horrors. It houses otherworldly landscapes of torment, massive mysterious beasts, and a fleet of busted ships that either unknowingly wandered into its reach or failed in their journeys to obtain forbidden knowledge. The Witch, one of the secondary antagonists of The Dark Ages, is from this realm, and it is suggested that the Wraiths originated from here, too. Hell and the Cosmic Realm have done some trading, as some of the beasts in The Dark Ages are eldritch versions of recognizable demons from Hell. Descriptions of this place are vague, so it is likely this will be expanded upon in later DOOM games or expansions.

The UAC

The Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) is the main company from Earth present in most DOOM games aside from The Dark Ages. It’s a nefarious company in many ways that often hides its experiments, which often have hellish, calamitous effects. For example, it allowed teleportation experiments in the first game that led to a demon invasion. It has been infiltrated by zealots loyal to Hell and then also tried to exploit demonic Argent Energy in the 2016 reboot, which also worked out poorly for all involved. Their logo has evolved over the years, but it often involves a triangle with a dot in it in the new trilogy.

What’s Next for DOOM?

It is currently unclear where the DOOM franchise is going. After the Dark Lord’s death, Eternal’s final DLC put the Doom Slayer to rest. However, there are some hints on what’s next.

The Wraiths, an ancient race the Argentas once worshipped, are seemingly ready to be explored. Martin teased that more was to come on this front during a livestream, and pondered about the origins of the Wraiths in another stream.

There’s also more to be said about the mark of the Slayer. This mark, which has been synonymous with the recent trilogy, has never been truly explained. Martin also hinted that more would be coming up about this mark and how it ties into the nebulous Primevals, all-powerful beings that have also been only mentioned.

This mark and the Primevals also imply that a grander look at the universe is in the cards. Martin spoke about how there may be more above the Dark Lord and The Father, teasing those topics had more fruit to bear. He has talked frequently about the mysterious implications of the “mysterious voice” that cried out when the Khan Maykr died in Eternal (and, as a note, the update that falsely attributed that line to the Dark Lord was a mistake and has since been patched).

In the more immediate future, The Dark Ages is due for at least two expansions. It is currently unknown what those will cover. However, Martin stated that it likely won’t end with the Doom Slayer being captured because that would spell the end for the medieval version of DOOM, and he said he thought that would be too abrupt and would be too big a time skip. It seems possible the DLC will involve the Wraiths and possibly Valen the Betrayer, as both play roles in The Dark Ages after being touched on in prior titles.

What’s your favorite part of the DOOM lore? Let us know in the comments below!

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