If you’ve spent any time scrolling Doom The Dark Ages playthrough clips or demo discussions online, you’ve almost certainly seen people obsessing over Doom the Dark Ages Doomguy face. Longtime franchise fans know the iconic, gritty scowl of the Slayer is as much a staple of the series as super shotguns and hordes of hellspawn, so it’s no surprise the dark ages reimagining of his look has sparked so much conversation. I’ve put 27 hours into the early access build so far, digging through every hidden nook and cranny to pull together everything you need to know about this iconic character design choice, from its lore roots to secret customization options you might have missed.
What Makes Doom the Dark Ages Doomguy Face Different From Classic Designs?
Old-school Doom players will remember the pixelated, expressive face that sat at the bottom of the screen in the 1993 original, shifting from a cocky smirk to a bloodied grimace as your health dropped. The Dark Ages iteration keeps that core spirit, but grounds it in the game’s gritty medieval hell setting, with far more subtle, realistic details that show the Slayer’s history of fighting hellspawn. You won’t see the over-the-top cartoonish damage reactions of the 90s sprite, but you will notice small, dynamic shifts that match your in-game state.
The face still reacts to in-game damage, just like the original 1993 Doom, which is a huge nostalgia win for long-time fans. I was shocked the first time I took a direct hit from an imp fireball and saw the Slayer’s lip split and a bruise bloom on his jaw, just like the old sprite face would show wear as your health ticked down. The design team has said they wanted to keep that beloved classic feature without breaking the dark, immersive tone of the new setting, and they pulled it off perfectly.
Hidden Lore References Tucked Into the Slayer’s Facial Design
Every mark and scar on the Slayer’s face ties back to either the game’s core story or the wider Doom franchise, and you’ll miss most of them if you don’t take time to zoom in on your character model in the inventory menu. The small notch in his right eyebrow, for example, is a direct reference to the 1996 Doom comic’s iconic design, a deep cut nod that only long-time fans will pick up on. The faint scar across his nose comes from a fight with a hell knight the night his village was invaded, the inciting incident of the game’s main campaign.
You can only see the full rune mark on his cheek if you’re playing on Ultra Nightmare difficulty – the devs added that as a small, exclusive reward for players willing to take on the game’s hardest challenge. The rune is the mark of the first hell priest he killed before the events of the game, and it glows faintly whenever you’re near a hidden hell collectible on that difficulty. I only noticed it when I was testing Ultra Nightmare runs last month, and it felt like a fun little secret just for players who are willing to put in the extra work.
How to Unlock Alternate Doomguy Face Skins in Game
You don’t need to buy any DLC or use mods to get alternate versions of the Slayer’s face – all three existing unlockable skins are available for free just by completing specific in-game challenges. None of them give any gameplay advantages, so they’re just for fun if you want to customize your playthrough or show off to friends in co-op mode. You can swap between any unlocked skins at any time from the main menu, with no penalties for switching mid-playthrough.
- Classic 1993 Sprite Face: Unlock by finding all 12 hidden hell runes across the first three campaign acts. This skin overlays the pixelated classic Doomguy face over the 3D model when you open the inventory, and even plays the old grunt sound effects when you take damage. It’s easily my favorite unlock so far, and it feels like the perfect bridge between old and new Doom.
- Unscarred Slayer Face: Unlock by completing the full campaign on Hurt Me Plenty difficulty or higher. This version shows what the Slayer looked like before the hell invasion of his village, with no scars, rune marks, or broken nose. It’s a little jarring at first to see him without his signature battle damage, but it’s a cool nod to his backstory.
- Hell Possessed Face: Unlock by beating the secret horde mode wave 50 on any difficulty. This skin has glowing red eyes and cracked, hellfire-tinged skin, a nod to the 2016 Doom’s pre-Slayer backstory when he was trapped in hell for centuries. It makes for some really fun screenshot opportunities during boss fights.
Most players miss the hell runes on their first playthrough, since they’re tucked in hidden corners off the main path. If you’re having trouble finding them, try checking behind breakable stone walls in village areas – I found 7 of my 12 runes hidden behind those walls without even trying.
Common Myths About the Doomguy Face Debunked
With as much hype as there’s been around this design, a lot of false rumors have spread across social media and fan forums over the past few months. I’ve tested almost all of these rumors myself to separate fact from fiction, so you don’t have to waste hours chasing fake unlocks.
There is no "secret evil face" unlock for killing friendly NPCs – that rumor started from a modded clip that went viral last year, and the base game has no morality system at all, so killing villagers doesn’t change anything about your character. I fell for this myth myself for the first 10 hours of play, going out of my way to save every villager to see if the face would soften, so don’t feel bad if you bought into it too.
Another common myth is that you have to pre-order the game to get the classic sprite face, but that’s not true either. The pre-order bonus skin is a separate knight armor set, and the classic face is available for all players who find the runes, no purchase required. The last big myth is that the face is modeled directly after one of the game’s lead devs, which is only partially true – the dev used his own face as a base scan, but adjusted almost every feature to match the original 1993 Doomguy sprite first.
At the end of the day, all the hype around Doom the Dark Ages Doomguy face is well earned. It’s a love letter to long-time franchise fans, packed with small details and rewards for players who take the time to explore every part of the game. Whether you’re chasing the classic sprite skin or just love digging into hidden lore, the Slayer’s face is one of the many small touches that makes this entry feel so special. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the alternate skins yet, spend a few runs hunting for those hidden runes next time you boot up the game – you won’t regret it.
