Bethesda’s DOOM re-release faced unexpected issues

Over the weekend Bethesda launched the original DOOM, DOOM 2, and DOOM 3 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. However, consumer backlash over the requirement to log into Bethesda.net has caused the surprise launch to be marred by a suspected manipulation tactic.

Last weekend saw QuakeCon 2019 – The Year of DOOM. The event, while focused on DOOM, was an opportunity for all of Bethesda’s game to be showcased to fans, and allow the developers to update players on what new content is coming to the games they love.

DOOM Eternal was obviously the focal game for this year’s QuakeCon, and in order to create anticipation for the title, the original DOOM, DOOM 2, and DOOM 3 were all released for modern consoles.

Those first players to buy and download the games were met with a login screen for each, telling them that a Bethesda.net account was required to play. This was met with hostility from consumers, since DOOM and DOOM 2 only support local co-op, and DOOM 3 is a single player title, meaning there’s no online element to them.

Soon after the news made it around social media, a Bethesda representative spoke up to explain that an oversight had been made. They explained that the Bethesda.net login was meant to be for Slayer’s Club members, and would present them with rewards for playing the classic DOOM titles.

The representative went on to describe how the login should have been optional, and developers were working on a patch to make it so. Consumers will be notified when the update is ready to be pushed to the games.

While some consumers were bothered enough by this issue to put off purchasing the games until later, Xbox players were presented with another problem. Anyone who already owned versions of DOOM and DOOM 2 on their Xbox account found that once these re-releases came out, their versions were gone. This meant that the backwards compatible games couldn’t be downloaded to Xbox One, if previously owned.

A Bethesda representative explained that this issue was also a mistake. Apparently there was an error that caused the games to disappear for those who had previously purchased it, but now they should be visible and available to download.

DOOM Eternal launches on November 22, 2019 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. A new multiplayer feature was revealed during QuakeCon 2019, which pits two demons against one slayer.