Doom will never die — and modders are to thank

This story is part of Save State, a bi-weekly column focused on the evolving nature of retro gaming.

If you thought that the original Doom couldn’t possibly be released again, you’re dead wrong. Nightdive Studios, iD Software, and MachineGames released Doom + Doom II at QuakeCon 2024 earlier this month, giving the foundational classic its most souped-up version yet

Although Doom and Doom II: Hell on Earth get rereleased every few years — and have a reputation for running on anything — Doom + Doom II is their best rerelease yet. It includes all official Doom episodes, including a new one called Legacy of Rust. It has full online support for co-op and multiplayer, a vault featuring never-before-seen assets, and it’s very mod-friendly, as even players on current-gen consoles have access to mods right from the main menu.

Doom + Doom II feels as enjoyable as any modern game launching this month. That strength has given it a community that feels stronger than ever, with many former modders responsible for bringing this new collection to life. Speaking to developers from Nightdive, I came to understand that the original Doom games are an unstoppable force that can never die because the very developers keeping the classics alive are now the same people who were initially inspired by it.

The ‘gravitational pull’ of Doom

Nightdive is one of the premier game studios remastering and remaking older, beloved games. Founded in 2014 after co-founder Stephen Kick acquired the rights to System Shock 2, Nightdive made a name for itself over the last decade with remasters of many classic PC games, namely shooters like System Shock, Turok, and Star Wars: Dark Forces. But the developers from Nighdive I spoke to all had some connection to Doom.

Co-founder Daniel Grayson tells Digital Trends that he remembers discovering the franchise through the scary Doom 3 and going back and checking out the source versions of the prior games. Larry Kuperman, director of business development, recalled