Doom Gets New Update, Free Multiplayer DLC, and a Free Weekend

[ffronw]

Doom Gets New Update, Free Multiplayer DLC, and a Free Weekend

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1419/1419176.jpgThere's a new Doom patch out now, and it's making all multiplayer DLC free, as well as making big changes to the game, its progression system, and more.

Today, id Software has rolled out the newest update for Doom. The aptly titled "Update 6.66" brings a host of changes to the popular shooter, in addition to a bunch of bug fixes. One of the biggest changes is that all the multiplayer DLC is now free for everyone that owns the game.

The announcement comes in a post on Bethesda.net [https://bethesda.net/en/article/3lw31bjKOsagegSyIYWIEg/the-ultimate-doom-update-6-66-all-dlc-unlocked-free-weekends], which says that the company has "retired the season pass," and is making "all of the multiplayer DLC content available to all players." That comes out to a total of nine maps, three guns, three playable demons, new equipment, new armor sets, and more.

The update has also completely revamped the game's multiplayer progression system, doing away with the random unlocks. The new system allows you to focus on the gear you want, rather than hoping for a random drop. Alongside the new system, id is resetting all player levels to zero. However, it is also offering veteran players the option to keep all their existing items, or to completely reset their progress and start over. Veteran players will also be receiving a special badge, and anyone who has made it to the max Slayer level will get recognized with a badge for that as well.

The Hack Module System has been replaced with a Runes system similar to the one found in the single-player campaign. Multiplayer Runes are "persistent player abilities earned and included in a player loadout" that do not have to be activated, and never expire.

There are also improvements to the game's UI and menus, updates to post match summaries, and more. You can find a complete list of the changes, as well as all the fixes included in the patch, in the complete patch notes and FAQ for patch 6.66 [https://bethesda.net/community/topic/73729/doom-update-6-66-faq-and-patch-notes].

Bethesda is also offering up a free weekend for anyone who hasn't picked up Doom yet. The game will be free to play on all platforms, and will include not only single-player, but full access to multiplayer and SnapMap tools as well. The start times for the free weekend are below, and picking up the game at the sale price of $14.99 during the weekend means you can carry your progress over.

PC: Thursday, 7/20 at 1 PM ET through Sunday, 7/23 at 4 PM ET
PS4: Thursday, 7/27 at 12 PM ET through Sunday, 7/30 at 11:59 PM ET
Xbox One: Thursday, 7/20 at 12 PM ET through Sunday, 7/23 at 11:59 PM ET

If you want to see what we thought of Doom when it launched last year, you can check out our review. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/167490-Doom-Review-Nostalgia-Present-2016]

Permalink

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I haven't played the multiplayer in Doom...but this might change that.

 

[TilMorrow]

Huh neat, this might be reason enough to try out the multiplayer again. I mean I tried it out once and I immediately ran into someone who was 20 levels higher than me, apparently had an upgrade that let them spawn with 100 armour every time they respawned and they were able to easily kill every single other player around corners using the lightening gun before they could even be seen which lead to me going nope, leaving and never queuing again.

 

[laggyteabag]

I haven't touched the multiplayer, and that is not likely to change, but I am glad to see another company get rid of the season pass.

Hopefully that particular piece of DLC goes the way of the Dodo, and the Online Pass.

 

[Hawki]

I haven't played the multiplayer in Doom...

I haven't touched the multiplayer,

You guys aren't missing out on much. Fitting to its demonic nature, it's an unholy fusion of arena-style maps with loadout and ammo systems that are better fitted to a class-based shooter. Also doesn't help that when I played it, the scene was practically dead.

 

[Poetic Nova]

This rieks of drastic measures to try to get some form of life (or undead in this case) in MP. Should've gone for SP content instead.

 

[Voxoid]

I wish they had the SP and MP as separate games because I'm a bit over MP games all together. I've only just finished the SP campaign and was hoping to do a playthrough on Nightmare difficulty this weekend, unfortunately I'm stuck with a crappy internet connection and the patch is 35GB.

 

[MeatMachine]

Bullshit progression system being overhauled to provide player choices in rewards.
Confusing hack module system being replaced with simple, consistent options.
PvP content not being roped off behind paid DLC anymore for all players.

...wow. Did Bethesda just remedy 75% of the contentions I had with the multiplayer in this game that turned me off of playing it??

Either way, I'm glad I never shelled out the dosh for DLC.

 

[Bindal]

I wish they had the SP and MP as separate games because I'm a bit over MP games all together. I've only just finished the SP campaign and was hoping to do a playthrough on Nightmare difficulty this weekend, unfortunately I'm stuck with a crappy internet connection and the patch is 35GB.

If you're on Steam, it might be worth looking at the "DLC" property tab and simply unchecking the DLCs themselves so you don't download the content that's directly related to them as I suspect that's simply how they did it.
On consoles, there might be a similar way.

Should cut down the update size.

 

[Voxoid]

If you're on Steam, it might be worth looking at the "DLC" property tab and simply unchecking the DLCs themselves so you don't download the content that's directly related to them as I suspect that's simply how they did it.
On consoles, there might be a similar way.

Should cut down the update size.

Unfortunately it seems that they've removed the DLC selection tab because it's all in one package now.
I was hoping Steams Offline Mode might help, but it needs the game to be updated aswell.

 

[Vigormortis]

Cool beans. Glad to see id move away from the 'season pass' structure. Hopefully this is a sign of a return to form where they keep updating their games with new content for free 'forever'.

I've enjoyed the multiplayer of DOOM. It wasn't perfect but it was still a fun arena shooter. It made for a good time killer when playing against bots. Having all of the DLC content will be pretty neat.

That said, can we get another chapter to the campaign, id? Pretty please?

Never thought I'd see the day where I'd be thirsty for more Doom story. Hell, never thought I'd see the day where a Doom game would actually have a story, let alone a good one.

Strange times are these...

 

[Hawki]

Cool beans. Glad to see id move away from the 'season pass' structure. Hopefully this is a sign of a return to form where they keep updating their games with new content for free 'forever'.

When did Id do that?

That said, can we get another chapter to the campaign, id? Pretty please?

I agree there, but...

Never thought I'd see the day where I'd be thirsty for more Doom story. Hell, never thought I'd see the day where a Doom game would actually have a story, let alone a good one.

Doom 3 called, it wants its claim to fame back.

I mean, okay, Doom 3's story was nothing spectacular, but compared to Doom 2016, it's bloody Shakespeare.

 

[Vigormortis]

When did Id do that?

For most of their old catalog of games, especially the Dooms and Quakes.

Doom 3 called, it wants its claim to fame back.

I mean, okay, Doom 3's story was nothing spectacular, but compared to Doom 2016, it's bloody Shakespeare.

Mmm, can't say I agree, honestly. Yes, Doom 3 had a story, but DOOM's narrative just feels more cohesive, more realized.

Doom 3's lore was basically, "sciencey people open portal to Hell by accident, and there are spooky things there."

DOOM's lore built an entire back history, laying the foundation for a millennia-long struggle between other-worldy societies, and giving (what I feel is) a better setup for the Hell invasion than an experimental 'oopsy'. That and we get a more 'believable' setup for the Doom Guy's badassery. It's still stupid, but it 'made sense'.

Plus, having new DOOM's story being very self aware and rolling with it made it a lot more fun for me. It had a sense of humor, which was something Doom 3 lacked entirely, despite Doom 3's absurd story.

 

[TelosSupreme]

Nice update, but it would certainly help if people still actually played the multiplayer. Not a single match to join. Guess this wasn't enough to convince people to try it again. At least the singleplayer still kicks ass.

 

[Hawki]

When did Id do that?

For most of their old catalog of games, especially the Dooms and Quakes.

Wait, they're still getting updated? If not, it clearly isn't forever.

Mmm, can't say I agree, honestly. Yes, Doom 3 had a story, but DOOM's narrative just feels more cohesive, more realized.

Doom 3's lore was basically, "sciencey people open portal to Hell by accident, and there are spooky things there."

DOOM's lore built an entire back history, laying the foundation for a millennia-long struggle between other-worldy societies, and giving (what I feel is) a better setup for the Hell invasion than an experimental 'oopsy'. That and we get a more 'believable' setup for the Doom Guy's badassery. It's still stupid, but it 'made sense'.

Well, can't agree there.

Doom 3's story and setup are basic - science stuff happens, science stuff goes wrong, bad stuff happens, marine must sort out fallout of bad stuff. Like I said, Doom 3's story isn't anything spectacular, but everything about it feels cohesive. Everything about Mars City feels like a realistic take on a Martian colony, the surface of Mars has a quality of "magnificent desolation" to it (the wind, the lack of air, the colouring, etc.), and I love the take on Hell being a completely alien environment, not to mention when it spills over onto Mars once you return. Plus, its backstory and setting are revealed over time - state of Earth, the history of the UAC's operations on Mars, the Martians that fought Hell, etc. Like I said, nothing spectacular, but it all feels cohesive.

Doom 2016's story however is a mess, along with its tone (more on that later). In theory it uses the same storytelling techniques as Doom 3, along with the same basic story, but there's a sense of the lore being thrown together on the fly. For instance, Argent D'Nur. There's some interest there, but nothing but the broadest of strokes. It isn't even mentioned by name until the very end, the Martian base feels much more slapped together - less something that humans would actually build, and more something that is designed purely for gameplay. Also, if we're comparing protagonists, the Doom 3 marine isn't really portrayed as a badass. He's more in the right place at the right time when shit goes down, so when he gets back, there's the sense that he's only still alive because Mars City is big, and the demons can only cover so much ground. The Doom Slayer has an excuse to be a "badass," but the games are going for different experiences anyway.

On a tangental note though, Hell feels far more drab in Doom 2016 than Doom 3. In Doom 3, part of why Hell works so well is the sense of contrast between it and Mars. In Doom 2016, the UAC base is pretty much an exagerated hellhole even without the presence of demons. Indeed, demonic infestation was already a problem, and there's a log that mentions demons roaming on the surface. It has less contrast, and therefore, less impact. Even the original Doom caught the 'essence' of Hell a bit better when you compare Phobos (a purely human environment) with Deimos (which is starting to change due to Hell's influence).

Plus, having new DOOM's story being very self aware and rolling with it made it a lot more fun for me. It had a sense of humor, which was something Doom 3 lacked entirely, despite Doom 3's absurd story.

Again, disagree. Doom 3's story played itself straight, but did have jokes that worked well (e.g. the audio log as to why chainsaws are on Mars, the Mischin vs. Moxin (sp?) thing, etc. Little bits of levity that I could see existing. Little bits of human absurdity that exist even in the 22nd century on an alien planet.

Doom 2016 however can't decide on a tone. Within the first part of the game, we see the Doom Slayer look at a human corpse as Hayden tries to justify his actions. It then segways into playing the same joke over and over (soul harvests, the UAC is a cult, laceration is common, etc.). Then it tries to be serious as well with the Night Sentinels appearing before the Doom Slayer and whatnot, while in the game itself, the Doom Slayer is content to plunge Earth into an energy crisis for shits and giggles (or he hates demons, but whatever). Also, Pierce feels like a poorer version of Betruger - not that Betruger is a deep or complex villain in any way, but Pierce herself seems to be caught between the game's desire to play it straight (racking up intimidation) with the desire to be "kewl" (her cybernetic suit).

And look, Doom 2016 doesn't have to follow Doom 3 in tone, if only because Doom 3 didn't follow the original games' tone either, but I can't even say what the tone of Doom 2016 is meant to be. It's some weird mix of being part straight, part badass, part tongue in cheek, and ends up sufferring for it.

 

[wings012]

I had trouble finding a single multiplayer game when I first played DOOM.

Surprised that I managed to find games quite easily. Played a few games, but I was more or less getting my arse handed to me. Had some fun, but got too salty at my rubbish performance and called it quits.

Not a fan of the loadout system, wish it was just find guns and shoot people with guns.

The various game modes are pretty novel and it's pretty awesome when you become the demon. Kinda sucks on the receiving end though.