As one of the first PC video games and the grandfather of modern shooters, the DOOM IP has become a household name among gamers, with a longevity far surpassing its shelf-life. It's practically synonymous with the term, "first-person shooter," and while 2016's DOOM remake may not have had the iconic, widespread effect of the original, it's hard to deny that the title was an obvious labor of love - and now, that labor just became a lot more accessible.
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In an update appropriately titled, "Update 6.66," DOOM will be opening up all of the game's multiplayer downloadable-content (DLC) to all players, for free. This includes Unto the Evil, Hell Followed, and Bloodfall, the latter and most recent of which having released in mid-December of last year.
The total amount of content comes in at a whopping nine multiplayer maps, three guns, and three playable demons. The DLC also contains a number of armor sets and additional modes and features for players to toy around with.
DOOM's unlock system has also evidently undergone an overhaul; according to Bethesda's blog post, all of the game's unlocks (guns, demons, etc.) will now be obtainable at specific leveling requirements, rather than through the previous, random drop system.
"Now, if there's a specific helmet you want, you can work toward unlock it by focusing your play style on the related challenge. We're confident new and veteran players alike will enjoy the control and predictability in this new multiplayer progression system."
It's certainly a safe bet; random number generation or "RNG," has long been an unpopular system in many games among players who felt that unlocking an item should be a matter of perseverance and skill instead of simple luck.
Via the DOOM website
Meanwhile, players who never purchased DOOM originally will have a chance to try it out for free over the game's free-to-play weekend. The event will begin on July 20 at noon for the Xbox One and 1:00 PM for the PC. PlayStation 4 players, meanwhile, will be able to start their own free weekend a week later on July 27 at noon. This event includes unlimited access to DOOM's multiplayer and SnapChat modes, though players will have to purchase the game in order to proceed beyond the second level of the single-player campaign.
Which, incidentally, also just became a lot easier; DOOM has had its price reduced down to a mere $14.99 that, when combined with the sudden accessibility of the previously expensive season pass, results in quite the steal for such an impressive game.
