To celebrate DOOM’s 25th anniversary, Bethesda Softworks and id Software unleashed quite the surprise during QuakeCon 2019. The original DOOM, DOOM 2, and DOOM 3 are all available on the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. Unfortunately, the hype was undercut by the realization that DRM practices were at work. To enjoy the classic titles, players needed to log into or create a Bethesda.Net account, meaning each of the ports require an alway-online connection. According to the publisher, this isn’t what was initially intended and will soon be rectified.
Bethesda addressed the controversy on its official Twitter account, explaining that the login was meant as an option for Slayers Club members. Those who participate in the DOOM fan club were to receive special rewards for playing the three classic games. Though the publisher didn’t detail exactly what went wrong, the post did promise the online requirement will be removed.
Here is Bethesda’s tweet:
Update on our new classic DOOM releases:
The BethesdaNet login requirement was included for the Slayers Club, to reward members for playing the classic DOOM games.
The login should be optional, and we are working on changing the requirement to optional now.
— Bethesda (@bethesda) July 27, 2019
At the time of writing, it doesn’t appear as though the issue has been rectified. When such a change is finally implemented, the publisher said an update of some sort will be provided, probably via its social media feeds.
DOOM’s 25th anniversary festivities don’t stop with classic ports. Later this year, another entry in the series will hit store shelves with the launch of DOOM Eternal. The franchise’s latest outing is set to release later this year on November 22nd. During QuakeCon, id offered information on the game’s hub, Battlemode, and post-launch DLC plans.
[Source: Bethesda on Twitter via VG247]
