The Entire DOOM Timeline Explained: When Each Game Takes Place

Updated Aug 27, 2026, 1:16 PM EDT Dylan Hackworth is a Games Feature Writer for Screen Rant. Before joining the Screen Rant team, he spent years as a traveling comedian with the renowned Second City Theater. During his time there, he performed sketch and improvised comedy across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Along with his lovely wife, Dylan is also the co-host of the comedy/horror show, Creep Street Podcast, a podcast dedicated to all things strange and macabre. (Available everywhere you get your podcasts). He first began his career in games journalism working for a website called Twisted Bard. There, he covered the Xbox beat - also hosting Twisted Bard’s Xbox focused podcast, Twisted Bard Gold. Some of his favorite games include Batman: Arkham Asylum, Halo 3, Luigi’s Mansion, and Ocarina of Time. When not writing, he loves researching spooky legends along with his wife Maureen and dog Banshee. While he has never seen a ghost, he certainly believes in them. The DOOM series has been a high-profile franchise since the original installment in 1993. While not the first first-person shooter game, DOOM ushered the genre into the mainstream in brilliant, gory fashion. Since its debut in the early 1990s, DOOM has spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs, as well as films, books, and many other forms of media. Naturally, the story of DOOM has branched off into numerous directions, creating its own universe of lore in which the Doomguy has been reimagined many times over. With DOOM: Dark Ages recently announced, now is a great time to get the story straight. If we exclude all media besides the video games, DOOM essentially has three core timelines. Of course, each timeline is packed full of blood-hungry hellions, but how the Doomguy is portrayed, as well as his backstory, changes vastly with each. Another factor that differs in each timeline is why the space marine is on Mars in the first place. From mad scientists and corporate villains to cosmic battles between the angelic and demonic, the space marine has truly seen it all. Get ready to go to Hell and back as we examine the three main timelines of the DOOM games. The Original DOOM Timeline The Timeline That Started It All In the original DOOM, an unnamed space marine toils on Mars and its moons for the UAC (Union Aerospace Corporation). The marine was stationed there as punishment for assaulting a senior officer after refusing an order to harm unarmed civilians. On the surface of Mars and its moons, Deimos and Phobos, the UAC conducts clandestine experiments regarding interdimensional travel. Disregarding safety measures, Hell literally breaks loose when the UAC’s experiments accidentally open a rift in dimensions, allowing the denizens of Hell to escape into humanity's reality. Carnage ensues, and the Doomguy travels to Hell itself to crush the invading hordes. According to Tom Hall and John Romero, the original DOOM Marine was the grandson of Commander Keen and great-grandson of William J. Blazkowicz, though this may not be canon in the modern version. The sequel, DOOM II: Hell on Earth, sees Doomguy return to Earth only to find his home world invaded by demonic forces. Much of humanity has been destroyed, with a few fortified cities housing the few living that remain. The game features the space marine blasting his way through various suburban and urban locations as he hunts for the source of the infernal siege. In the game’s climax, Doomguy encounters the “Icon of Sin,” an immensely powerful demonic entity responsible for the invasion of Earth. After a brutal battle, Doomguy is victorious, ending Hell’s threat to Earth for the time being. 1996’s Final DOOM expands the lore of the original two games with a pair of new storylines, “TNT: Evilution” and “The Plutonia Experiment.” The UAC has established a new base on Io, one of Jupiter’s moons. Things, once again, go awry, and the armies of Hell pour into the human realm. The timeline comes to its bloody conclusion in 1997’s DOOM 64, in which a retired Doomguy is called back into action to defeat the forces of Hell for good. After defeating the Mother Demon in the game's climax, Doomguy elects to remain in Hell to prevent further demonic invasions. DOOM: The Dark Ages Expands The Backstory Of The Doom Slayer DOOM Dark Ages Acts As A Prequel To DOOM (2016) & DOOM Eternal DOOM: The Dark Ages was officially released in May 2025, revealing a deeper exploration of Doomguy's ancient origins. This marks the beginning of the second official timeline of the series. The game transports our intrepid protagonist to the Argent D'Nur universe, where he becomes trapped. When the demons invade this realm, the marine is recruited to fight them off. He turns out to be extremely good at this, which earns him the title of the Doom Slayer. He's then captured and used to battle for some powerful people in the realm. The newest DLC for Dark Ages, titled Revelations, finally gives the Doom Slayer a name: Flynn Taggart. The series protagonist fights Hell’s legions with an incredible arsenal of weapons in Dark Ages. Most notable are the Shield Saw and the Skull Crusher, a gun that chews up the skulls of the dead and fires out lethal bone chips at enemies. Perhaps the boldest addition that Dark Ages brings to the table is mech warfare, a first for the series. DOOM 3 Is A Timeline All Its Own DOOM 3 Reimagines The Original Doom DOOM 3 is widely considered to be non-canon, and it's believed that its main character is not the same Doom Slayer as in all the other games. However, it's also said that the game takes place in an alternate dimension at the same time as Doom (2016). This places the game in its own timeline, as the only game in that timeline. Whereas the games before it were fast-paced shooters, 2004’s DOOM 3 leaned into the horror elements of the franchise, placing more emphasis on atmosphere and survival. Rather than a purely demonic final boss, the game’s main antagonist is the corrupt Dr. Betruger, who transforms into a demonic specter, Maledict, by the game’s end. DOOM 3 distinguishes itself from other entries in the series by pondering the ethics of science run amok, primarily through the actions of Dr. Betruger, whose work disregards human life. The DOOM Reboot Timeline Fleshes Out The Protagonist & His Mission DOOM 2016 Re-introduces Doomguy Returning to the secone timeline, the reboot of DOOM in 2016 sees the series continue the story of the Doom Slayer. The protagonist was sealed away in a sarcophagus for centuries, only to be awakened by the UAC in their Mars facility. The UAC’s Dr. Olivia Pierce is attempting to harness the energy of Hell in an effort to solve an energy crisis on Earth. However, she allows the hordes of Hell to invade our reality, and once again, the Doom Slayer must crush these otherworldly invaders to ensure humanity's ultimate salvation. DOOM Eternal picks up after the events of DOOM (2016), and once again, demons have overrun Earth. However, what distinguishes DOOM Eternal from its predecessors is how it builds out the backstory of the Doom Slayer, a character that has largely remained one-dimensional in most titles released before it. Numerous elements are introduced that enrich the game’s story, such as the Seraphim, the Sentinels, and the Divinity Machine. The Doom Slayer is recruited by the Sentinels of the dimension Argent D'Nur. Through the use of the Divinity Machine, the Doom Slayer is transformed into a near-immortal. For decades, Doomguy was little more than a vessel for carnage. While the original DOOM titles are still a blast even today, the added depth of the space marine’s backstory has made the reboot that much more engaging. DOOM: Dark Ages was a highlight of the Xbox Showcase in 2025, and iD Software seems poised to take the series in exciting new directions. Whether it's in an industrial facility on the surface of Mars or an ancient medieval castle, crushing demons will never stop being fun. The various timelines of the DOOM series only become more exciting to explore with each iteration. Systems Released May 15, 2025 ESRB M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence Developer(s) id Software Publisher(s) Bethesda Softworks Engine id Tech Editors Note: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that the 2016 continuation of the DOOM franchise was a different version of the original Doomguy, Beast, Doom Slayer, DOOM Marine, or the other variations and aliases the protagonist has had over the franchise's history, but he is actually the same character from the original trilogy. The article has since been amended.