The limited-edition shirt has been released recently by Bethesda, and the DOOM-themed shirt has been nowhere near tranquility among gamers and animal lovers. #TheBarkAges is an artistic piece with @Xous54’s daughter art showing a demon-slaying corgi clad in full DOOM Slayer armor. Full proceeds go for animal welfare organizations including Seattle Humane, Montgomery County Humane Society, and Nebraska Humane Society. Pre-order closes on June 11, so better hurry up for warm buys.
Funny thing about the shirt is that it takes that grim DOOM aesthetic and in a wicked twist swaps out the usual demon-slaying protagonist with a gloriously innocent yet fierce doggie. This is the kind of merch that makes you pause from browsing and say loud, “Wait, I NEED this.” Charity sales also irk well with this: you buy a heap of cool merch, and animals in need get some aid.
The responses went halfway between hype and jokes and…some genuinely unusual. @orderofthepg1 complained about not having a pug version (quite fair, actually). @WarbearWojtek launched into a strange off-topic rant about spaying and neutering… I mean, let’s not! @RadimousPrime kinda said it for most people with “Oh my god that’s hilarious!”
Not quite everybody liked it. Another thing is, @shiba_sesame doubted whether it was AI generated and whether the Humane Society approved it. (For the record, the talent behind this is @Xous54, a bona-fide artist, and the charities really are supportive. ) Others, including @Aaqua501st, used it as a chance to plead to Bethesda to allow buying the Legionary Slayer skin as a stand-alone purchase rather than having to get it as part of an astronomically expensive bundle.
Instant and inevitable were the words, “More, more, more.” @AlphaBlast23 harassed Bethesda by querying whether DOOM Slayer would get a pet dog in-game (imagine Doomguy cuddling a corgi amid demon massacres); @16bitjoan just wanted more “dark ages in flames” shirts, and honestly, so do I.
Nebraska Humane Society borrowed the microphone to give everybody a shout-out who bought a shirt for their cause: “Thank you to everyone buying a shirt and supporting the animals! 🐶🎮” Alongside it was a pic of one really happy doggo.
So anyway, if DOOM is your favorite thing in the world, if you love dogs, or if you’re just an all-around decent human being, then your happiness lies with purchasing this shirt. It’s a fun, charity-worthy shirt, and let’s be honest, how often do you get to dress up as a full DOOM Slayer corgi battle armor?
Pre-orders open now but will close on June 11! After that, they’re gone for good. So get one while you still can. And hey, if you choose not to grab one, donate a couple of bucks to an animal shelter nearby-they’d appreciate it!
