id Software has declared that DOOM: The Dark Ages is among the best in the industry and one of the finalists for the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards in at least two categories. The game is nominated for Outstanding Technical Achievement and Action Game of the Year, which is an incredible honor from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. This news is directly from the developer’s official social media, and they are calling the game one of the best in the industry.
Well, id Software is definitely on cloud nine. Besides that, with a nomination to the DICE Awards, they have won the jackpot – it’s like the Oscars for games but with a lot more demons and shotgun blasts. Nonetheless, the moment a developer celebrates something, the replies section turns into a different kind of battlefield. It’s really a war out there.
The tweet itself is all good vibes, right? “We are thrilled!” But then you keep scrolling and just like that! The gamers… they have thoughts. It’s a complete mixed bag. On one hand, some people are really excited, just like user adonutplays who exclaimed, “Well deserved. Bring it home!” and SneakyJaycool who was merely shouting “HELLL YEAH CONGRATS” and sharing a hype gif. That’s the vibe you would expect for a game being nominated for awards.
On the other hand, oh man; the other side is loud. Really loud. Players such as JBC41 think that it is the “worst Doom of the series IMO.” Ouch! General Shakewell is even more along the lines of, “This game sucked.” And 175AMENS are quite strong in their words saying they “Dropped the ball with this,” claiming it’s the first one in the series they haven’t bought. That would be a serious setback for a franchise with such a devoted fan base.
But it is not only about what the game is; the replies become a whole wishlist of demands and complaints about id Software. User malakaddo went on a whole rant: “You guys were so comfortable with the DOOM franchise until there were…” and then he lists a Quake reboot, and the Heretic and Hexen reboots. It is like they are using the DICE nomination as a springboard to ask, “Cool, but where is our Quake III Arena remake?!”
That sentiment was echoed again and again. Gregory Sink just straight up asks: “When will we get a new Game Quake?” It is clear that for a portion of the old-school FPS community, DOOM’s success has reminded them of the other franchises they love that are now gathering dust. They are pleased but at the same time, they also want more from id’s classic catalog.
Now the practical stuff comes into play. Several players are focusing on specific problems. CAB3Rknight says they “ain’t buying before denuvo is removed,” referring to the contentious anti-piracy software. retroslayer81 is “Still waiting for that PHOTO MODE.” And a few people, like johnata padilha and harrypr17, are just waiting for the Nintendo Switch 2 port before they dive in. johnata even said he played a bit on PC and thought it was “sensacional,” but he is just waiting for the portable version. The demand is there; it is just… on hold.
Oh, and the DLC question! WolfOfTheGate simply asked, “Where’s the DLC?” which set off a mini-thread. DarkEnzo0309 speculated, “It will be revealed on the 23rd I guess,” which someone challenged, and then DarkEnzo had to retract and apologize. It’s a whole little drama about unannounced content that might not be coming. Gamers want to slay more and know when it is going to be their turn.
The award itself was even given a side-eye. User stroggster just asked, ‘… What’s “Dice Awards”?’ which is quite amusing amid all the heated discussions. It alerts that for many players, the community’s reaction and the post-launch support are more important than the trophies awarded by the industry.
On the one hand, DOOM: The Dark Ages has been formally acknowledged for its technical excellence and action gameplay, which is a major victory for the devs. On the flip side, the player response is a textbook case in contemporary gamer sentiment. A nomination is not just a pat on the back anymore; it is a microphone that amplifies everything the community feels – strong attachment to the series, criticism directed at this entry, yearning for other titles, and requests for bug fixes and new content. It indicates that for gamers, a game’s legacy is not written by the award juries but rather by the ongoing dialogue concerning what works, what does not, and what they want to see next. The passionate debates on social media platforms and forums are a testament to this.
