We're just a few weeks away from the Xbox Games Showcase next month and rumors are starting to pick up. The latest, from Insider Game's Tom Henderson -- a reliable gaming insider -- claims that Bethesda will reveal the next game in its DOOM franchise during the event.
Rumors of a new DOOM game being in development under the codename "Year Zero" have been swirling for a while now, but Henderson reports that the final name is DOOM: The Dark Ages.
Not much is known about the game, which has reportedly been in development for at least four years, but early details described it as a "medieval inspired doom world." That description, as vague as it is, does seem to align with the rumored title "The Dark Ages."
Interestingly, this isn't the first time we've heard rumors of a new DOOM game. Earlier this month, The Verge's Tom Warren mentioned a new DOOM game briefly in an article chronicling Microsoft's Xbox turmoil. While Warren didn't provide specifics about the game, he teased that it would be revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase.
The DOOM video game franchise has been around for decades and is considered one of the first pioneering first-person shooter games. The long-running series was revived with 2016's critically acclaimed DOOM, which was followed by a sequel in 2020, DOOM Eternal. It's reported that DOOM Eternal generated $450 million in revenue over its first year.
The Xbox Games Showcase is set to take place on Sunday, June 9 at 10:00 a.m. PST. This will be the first Showcase featuring games from many of Microsoft's newly acquired studios, including Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda. Fans can also expect to see games from other Xbox Game Studios and other third-party partners.
One of the biggest games fans are looking forward to is the reveal of Cal of Duty: Black Ops 6. Microsoft officially announced this year's game earlier this month, confirming it will be revealed during the Games Showcase in June. Following its reveal, Microsoft will host a Black Ops 6 Direct, which will provide more in-depth details about this year's game.
Microsoft also previously alluded to news and updates for its other highly anticipated games including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Towerborne, and more. And while not confirmed, we can probably expect news on Starfield's upcoming expansion, Shattered Space. Bethesda's blockbuster sci-fi recently released a massive update for the game.