Latest Update for Doom: The Dark Ages Introduces a 'Ripatorium' for Custom Wave Shooter Creation Using a Variety of Demonic Creatures
In an exciting turn of events, id Software has expanded the horizons of DOOM: The Dark Ages with the introduction of the Ripatorium, an endless arena mode, in its latest update. This new feature allows players to create custom combat encounters within three unique arenas using a simple menu interface.
The Ripatorium, an arena mode for creating custom encounters, was introduced in Update 2 of DOOM: The Dark Ages. It offers players the freedom to select the type and number of demons to spawn, set a time limit for challenges or enable Endless mode, use an enemy respawn counter to tailor difficulty, and choose from three arenas: City of Ry'uul, Village of Khalim, and Harbor of Souls. Additionally, a jukebox feature allows players to select DOOM: The Dark Ages music tracks for their encounters.
The update also includes two new DOOM Slayer skins, a loopable demo mode for Benchmark Mode on PC, new difficulty sliders, weapon balances, enemy AI tweaks, and various bug fixes. To unlock one of the skins, players must complete an encounter in each Ripatorium arena.
The combat system in DOOM: The Dark Ages has undergone significant overhauling, affecting various aspects from major systems to individual combat scenarios. Notable changes include the Slayer's ability to interrupt weapon-swap animations to block incoming attacks, faster weapon-swap speed, a new slider for adjusting parry & melee slow motion effects, and enhancements to the dragon and mech sequences in the campaign. Combat encounter tweaks primarily affect acts two and three of the game, adding more enemies to late-game fights.
Rick Lane, a member of the PC Gamer team with a history in games journalism, highlights these improvements in his latest reviews of the game. He previously worked as a games editor of Custom PC magazine and associated website bit-tech.net and currently works as a freelance games journalist, writing for publications like Edge, Eurogamer, the Guardian, and PC Gamer.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is currently available for 25% off on Steam, reducing its price from $/£70 to $/£52. The update is live as of August 7, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms.
For those eager to dive into the world of DOOM: The Dark Ages, the Ripatorium offers a fresh and challenging experience. With the new update, players can now enjoy an endless arena mode, enhanced combat system, and customizable encounters.
- Update 2 of DOOM: The Dark Ages introduces the Ripatorium, an endless arena mode, allowing players to customize their combat encounters in three unique arenas.
- To unlock one of the new DOOM Slayer skins in the game, players must complete an encounter in each Ripatorium arena.
- Rick Lane, a freelance games journalist and a member of the PC Gamer team, highlights the improvements in DOOM: The Dark Ages, particularly the Ripatorium and the enhanced combat system.
- The current sale on Steam offers DOOM: The Dark Ages at a 25% discount, bringing its price down from $/£70 to $/£52.
