We say it every year, in some form or fashion, but 2025 was absolutely jam-packed with releases. So packed, in fact, that some were bound to be forgotten, like id Software’s DOOM: The Dark Ages. But if the more grounded combat with slower movement and focus on parrying didn’t quite feed into your personal Slayer power fantasy, good news – Revelations aims to up the ante in many ways.
Launching on July 7th for $19.99 on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, it’s absolutely massive in scope. Even if you’re not here for the story or how the once and future Slayer manages to escape this latest predicament, there’s no denying that a lot of work has gone into Revelations. Here are 15 new things we learned, starting with…
Playtime and Size
Remember the two DOOM Eternal DLCs? Two parts of a single cohesive story that you had to wait for? It was ultimately worth it, but Revelations is like both combined. Director Hugo Martin confirmed that it’s about 10 to 12 hours long depending on the difficulty. Considering that the base game’s story took about 14 hours to complete on average, this expansion is a pretty sizable addition, especially considering the price.
A Year’s Worth of Polish
Of course, the one question that’s bound to be on every player’s mind, sooner or later, is, “Why did it take so long?” Besides the free updates and improvements to the base game, id Software actually spent a year polishing Revelations. Everything you see – the encounters, bosses, secrets, and yes, even the new weapon – has been finely honed. Whether that’s up to everyone’s standards remains to be seen, but the development team clearly wanted to get it right, especially when it comes to…
Higher Difficulty
The Dark Ages wasn’t necessarily the most difficult experience in the Slayer trilogy, especially for those fresh off Eternal’s high-speed gauntlet of horrors. So you’ll be pleased to learn that Revelations’ difficulty is higher than the base game, even though id worked to ensure it remains balanced. If it still proves too easy, you can still play around with the difficulty sliders to tweak the challenge to your preference.
The Chain Spear
Without a doubt, the star of the show is the new Chain Spear. It packs a whole array of movement options, from dashing to grappling, and much of the expansion’s progression revolves around it. In fact, you’ll require the entire campaign to fully upgrade it and truly unlock some of the more “meta” tactics. The Shield Saw is still here, though, and quick-swapping between it and the Spear lends to some pretty combinations.
Slam, Stab, Throw, and Much More
Dashing, grappling, and stabbing are just a few of the Chain Spear’s unique properties. There are multiple abilities with dedicated upgrade trees, whether you want to hone in on the Sentinel Hammer-like ground slam, throw it like a projectile or play ring around the rosie with the grappling hook. It’s also aces for slashing through weaker enemies, breaking armor, and parrying melee strikes and projectiles. The goal of the Chain Spear is to elevate the amount of counters available, not unlike DOOM Eternal’s gameplay loop. Unfortunately, that does come at a cost…
Unchanged Guns and Repairing Your Armor
That’s right – no new guns (at least none that id is revealing at this time), and those from the base game remain largely the same. You’ll also need to upgrade the Slayer’s armor from scratch, increasing the max armor, health and ammo, one node at a time. It makes sense in the story, but if your skills are rusty, you might need to work that much harder to survive.
New, Returning and Upgraded Enemies
Thankfully, there are new enemies to tackle, like the Wizard, who buffs his allies and evades, which means using the Chain Spear’s enhanced mobility to catch up and put it down before things get out of hand. The Arch-Vile and Pain Elemental from Eternal also return, while the Whiplash Spectre has upgraded AI. The Hell Knights are also worth keeping an eye on, as they pack a purple glow and can detonate to deal massive damage. Managing all of these threats while staying on the move will be key, and the new bosses, including a dual-sword-wielding warrior, should prove a worthy challenge.
Maze-Like Levels That Are id’s “Best Work Yet”
In terms of level design, Revelations has a pretty impressive slate, from towering structures to desolate battlegrounds comprised of bones big and small. Id describes these as its “best work yet”, with every level offering maze-like layouts housing numerous secrets and upgrades. But don’t think you’ll just be going from one level to the next and then rolling credits.
A Brand New Structure
Revelations represents something new for the developer and Slayer trilogy as a whole. Instead of a simple campaign with optional side content and secrets, it’s divided into two separate overlays: Base Game and End Game. The former encompasses 60 percent of the total experience, including the story, but the latter makes up the rest and is where you go for a greater challenge.
End Game Activities and Challenges
And make no mistake – you’ll be challenged in all kinds of ways. When selecting the End Game overlay, levels offer new original paths, puzzles and end game resources. You’ll have to tackle challenges at Master difficulty, and new activities open up, like Praetor Suit Encounters, which involve competing in unique “extra-hard” arenas. If you’re looking for something more arcade-like, there are Slayer Trials, which have some scoring mechanics, thus challenging you to optimize your killing for the best result.
Classic Levels
You may have spotted this briefly in the reveal trailer, but progress enough through the end-game, and you’ll discover Classic levels. These are revamped versions of levels from classic titles, with vastly upgraded visuals. Not quite the retro aesthetic that such levels offered from DOOM (2016), but it’s a welcome twist all the same.
Uber Boss and Master Arenas
Once you’ve cleared the other end-game activities, you’ll receive the Astral Key, which allows you to face an Uber Boss, one of the greatest challenges in the game yet. We say “one of” because defeating it grants the Master Arena Key. This will unlock four “super-intense” Master Arenas that serve as the pinnacle of the game’s combat challenge. Complete these, and you’ll have well and truly mastered Revelations.
New Ripatorium Arenas, Enemies and More
But don’t worry – there’s still more, because finishing the Master Arenas will unlock three new arenas (including one that calls back to the classic Doom aesthetic) in the Ripatorium. All the enemies also carry over alongside the fully upgraded Chain Spear. Considering how much id Software has updated and built upon it over the past year and change, we’re excited to see how these options will change up the community-made presets.
Slayer Hub
Last but certainly not least is the new Slayer Hub. If you’re reminded of the Fortress of Doom from Eternal, id actually describe that as a “stepping stone” for this new hub. Packed with puzzles, hidden corridors, and of course, new lore, it’s a great way to decompress and explore. The campaign also offers plenty of lore and collectibles that shine more light on what’s going on, providing even more incentive to revisit levels.
