Doom: The Dark Ages Can Be Completed Without Guns, Developers Confirm It's Not Designed for That

The upcoming game introduces robust melee mechanics, but a gun-free run would be a challenging, self-imposed feat.

Doom: The Dark Ages, launching on May 15, 2025, features new melee weapons and a parry system, including a shield/chainsaw hybrid and a demonic flail.
Game director Hugo Martin stated that while a gun-free playthrough is theoretically possible, the game is not intentionally balanced for this approach.
Developers compared such challenge runs to past feats like pistol-only Nightmare runs in Doom 2016 or no-hit runs in Dark Souls, emphasizing the difficulty involved.
Producer Marty Stratton cautioned that a melee-only playthrough might feel awkward or less enjoyable due to the game's core design as a first-person shooter.
The game also introduces vehicles like a machine gun-mounted dragon and a mech suit, further underscoring its focus on ranged combat and traditional Doom gameplay.