Doom: The Dark Ages Easter Eggs
Doom: The Dark Ages is packed with brutal action, demonic hordes… and several hidden Easter eggs. From classic Doom references and developer nods to obscure lore callbacks and secret rooms, there’s a lot for eagle-eyed players to discover. In this guide, we’ll break down every known Easter egg in the game, where to find them, and what they mean.
1. Terminator 2: Thumbs Up
The thumbs-up death animation reappears in Doom: The Dark Ages. In both Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal, when the Slayer falls into lava, they become fully submerged and die, but not before giving a thumbs-up to the camera. This references the iconic scene from James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day, where Schwarzenegger’s T-800 Terminator sacrifices himself in a vat of lava and signs off with a thumbs-up.
There are few locations in the game to enjoy the Terminator thumbs-up; however, in the levels set in Hell, players can still experience this thumbs-up death animation if the Doom Slayer dies in lava.
Also check: Best Upgrades in Doom: The Dark Ages
2. Lovecraft Easter Egg
One of my personal favourites is the Lovecraft universe. In chapter 15 in Doom: The Dark Ages, you enter the City of Ry’uul. Here, you encounter The Old One, who is very similar to Cthulhu. To make things better, you can fight The Old One. The whole environment is filled with Lovecraftian lore.
3. The Last Of Us Clickers
The Lovecraftian and Cthulhu ocean-themed levels of the cosmic realm also adeptly pay homage to another esteemed video game series, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us. In Chapter 17 – The Temple of Lomarith, players encounter an area with sunken and destroyed ships. Exploring the interiors of some of these vessels reveals the unique conditions of the crew members.
These unfortunate individuals display coral growth on their bodies, with the coral formations on their heads resembling the grotesque design of the Cordyceps-covered faces characteristic of the Clicker enemies in The Last of Us. Elements of horror have always been present throughout the Doom games.
4. Pacific Rim Easter Egg
The experience of entering an Atlan mech’s control center bears a deliberate resemblance to the Jaeger mechs from Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim”. This similarity is intentional, as the game director, Hugo Martin, previously contributed as a concept artist involved with the design of the Jaegers for Pacific Rim.
5. 300-Style Spartan Kick
In the opening chapter, where the Slayer commandeers an Atlan Mech and proceeds to devastate Titans and the environment, the mission concludes with an homage to the film 300. It mirrors the iconic scene where Gerard Butler’s character Leonidas exclaims, “This is Sparta!” before kicking Peter Mensah’s character into a pit. Similarly, the Slayer thrusts a grenade into a Titan’s mouth before delivering a Spartan-style kick that propels it into a deep chasm.
6. The Imp
The Imp / Imp Stalker looks almost the same as in the original Doom game. The developers clearly show their respect for the achievements of the original team. Longtime players are hit by nostalgia when seeing this piece of trash. The Imp is a lowborn scavenger demon that feeds on the remains of the fallen.
7. Classic Doomguy Face HUD
In Doom: The Dark Ages, the HUD consists of a green bar indicating armor and a blue bar showing health, similar to previous Doom games. Additionally, the game features the return of the classic Doomguy face in the center of the HUD, a classic element from earlier games.
8. Developer Portraits And Wanted Posters
It is becoming increasingly common for game developers to include themselves in their games in creative ways. In the opening chapter of *Doom: The Dark Ages*, the Village of Khalim, players can find various ‘Wanted’ posters and other portraits featuring members of id Software’s development team. These inserts include game director Hugo Martin, series executive producer Marty Stratton, and possibly co-founders Tom Hall and John Romero.
9. Doom Slayer Glowing Eyes Easter Egg
The slayer’s glowing eyes in DOOM: The Dark Ages were not merely a symbol of his newfound power. This visual element is reminiscent of the original pixel art games in the franchise, where yellow eyes appeared when the god mode cheat was activated. In the DOOM reboots, the Slayer’s capabilities have significantly increased, making the comparison to god mode apt. Empowered by the Maykrs to act as a formidable force against the adversaries from hell, the Slayer’s title is well-justified throughout the series, particularly in The Dark Ages.
10. Commander Valen
Commander Valen is still full of life and power in Doom: The Dark Ages. This isn’t the first time that this character has been introduced in the Doom series. We first meet him in Doom Eternal. There he is much older, and as a nice easter egg, Valen wears the same armor as the Doom Slayer is wearing in The Dark Ages.
After losing his son, Valen was driven mad and haunted by demonic visions of his son living in a tortured existence. Valen fell into despair to bring his son back to life at the cost of betraying his allies.
Also check: Doom: The Dark Ages All Weapons Guide
11. Historical Paintings Easter Egg
Blending seamlessly with the medieval halls of the Sentinels’ home, the detailed paintings scattered throughout the kingdom can easily be overlooked. While many of these artworks are beautiful recreations of the fantastical landscapes from DOOM: The Dark Ages, some possess deeper significance. Among the most notable parodies are “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” and “Saturn Devouring His Son,” which have been recreated using the characters and style of The Dark Ages.
12. Mysterious Skeletal Figure
While it is not yet clear what the mysterious figure references, some players noticed a skeleton in a Superman pose with a blue cape in one of The Dark Ages’ early levels. Located in chapter 4 in the Sentinel Barracks stage, the skeleton appears just behind the player after completing a secret puzzle. Among the various secrets in The Dark Ages, this unidentified skeleton stands out as unusual but relatively easy to find. By using a shield leap and jumping down in front of a pushable cube halfway through the level, turning around will reveal the caped skeleton looking at the Slayer.
From subtle callbacks to classic titles to clever nods to Bethesda’s broader universe, Doom: The Dark Ages continues the franchise’s tradition of hiding secrets for eagle-eyed players to uncover. Whether spotting a developer wanted poster or stumbling upon a room loaded with references, these Easter eggs reward all gamers.
As more players dig into the game, it’s likely that even more hidden details will emerge. Keep your eyes peeled, your shotgun loaded, and your curiosity sharp. This concludes our Doom: The Dark Ages Easter Eggs guide.
Found something we missed? Let us know and help expand the hunt for every secret tucked within the chaos.