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‘DOOM’ Beta Dated Just Ahead Of PS4, Xbox One, PC Release Date

By Scott Grill
Published on: 04:06 PST, Mar 9, 2016

Bethesda Softworks and ID Software have already announced the release date for DOOM, but what about the inevitable beta? Closed beta details for the gory PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC first-person shooter were released Wednesday.

The DOOM multiplayer closed beta will start Thursday, March 31, at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT and run through Sunday, April 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET / 8:59 p.m. PT. Those that had the forethought to pre-order or purchase Wolfenstein: The New Order are guaranteed to get in.

That’s right. Access to the DOOM closed beta is currently limited to those that pre-ordered the now two-year old game back when this DOOM was still being advertised with the number four next to it. Fortunately, ID Software confirmed that participants of the DOOM multiplayer alpha test will be in the closed beta test as well. “You’ll simply need to make sure you build has updated on Mar 31,” the game’s Twitter account revealed.

Those that get into the DOOM multiplayer closed beta should obviously expect the multiplayer portions of the game only. The single-player campaign and SnapMap editor will not be included. Additionally, the amount of multiplayer content will be limited, as well.

Players will be limited to two maps during the DOOM closed beta – Heatwave and Infernal – while the available game modes will consist only of Team Deathmatch and Warpath with six vs six matches. Meanwhile, the following power-ups and weapons will also be available.

  • Demon: Revenant
  • Weapons: Rocket Launcher, Plasma Rifle, Super Shotgun, Vortex Rifle, Static Rifle, Heavy Assault Rifle, and Lightning Gun
  • Power Weapons: Gauss Cannon
  • Equipment: Frag Grenade, Personal Teleporter, Siphon Grenade

PC gamers who want to take DOOM for a ride will want to make sure their gaming rig is prepared. The following are the minimum and recommended specs for the beta. It’s important to note the Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 TI and mobile GPUs will not be supported for the beta.

Minimum PC Spec (720p)

  • Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
  • Intel Core i5-2400 or better / AMD FX-8320 or better
  • 8 GB RAM
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 (2GB) or better / AMD Radeon HD 7870 (2GB) or better
  • Up to 22GB HDD space
  • Steam account
  • Broadband internet connection

Recommended Spec (1080p)

  • Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
  • Intel Core i7-3770 or better / AMD FX-8350 or better
  • 8GB RAM
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (4GB) or better / AMD Radeon R9 290 (4GB) or better
  • Up to 22GB HDD space
  • Steam account
  • Broadband internet connection

ID Software also announced the reverse sleeve cover for physical copies of DOOM. There were complaints that the game’s cover art was generic. So, the developer and publisher asked fans to vote on a reverse sleeve cover and the following is the result.

DOOM fans can look forward to a May 13 release date and should expect a re-imagining of the classic single-player campaign plus the arena style multiplayer the game kicked off. Domination, freeze tag, and clan arena are other modes confirmed for the game so far, in addition to the two modes used during the closed beta. The shooter is also embracing the modding community with DOOM Snapmap.

Snapmap is a modding tool built into DOOM that allows players to quickly and easily build their own maps. It also provides the ability to create all new gameplay modes by going in and creating or edit game logic. Additionally, the new content created can be shared across the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

This is similar to how Fallout 4 mods will be shared between each platform, which will be done through the Bethesda.net website. The publisher hasn’t shared any additional details yet other than to say they plan to reveal more in 2016.

[Image via Bethesda Softworks]

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