If you’ve just rolled credits on Doom The Dark Ages after 20+ hours of slaying hellspawn, collecting runes, and mastering your shotgun combo, you’re probably wondering what comes next. Doom the dark ages new game plus is the perfect way to revisit the game’s brutal, fast-paced world with a fresh set of challenges and exclusive rewards you can’t get on a first playthrough. I’ve put 40 hours into NG+ runs across three different difficulty settings, so I’m breaking down everything you need to know to skip the frustration and get the most out of your second (or third, or fourth) playthrough. You don’t need to be a top-tier Doom player to enjoy NG+ either, there are settings for every skill level.
How to Unlock Doom The Dark Ages New Game Plus
A lot of players waste hours grinding for 100% completion under the false assumption they need every collectible to unlock NG+, but that’s not the case at all. The only requirement to access NG+ is beating the main story’s final boss on any difficulty, even the easiest “Story” setting. That means if you played through the game casually and skipped side missions, you can still jump right into NG+ as soon as the credits roll.
That said, it’s worth wrapping up any unfinished side content before you fight the final boss if you want a smoother NG+ start. Your entire inventory, including rare weapon skins, permanent rune upgrades, and unused upgrade points, transfers directly to your NG+ save, so there’s no downside to wrapping up loose ends first. You can even carry over all the extra ammo and health pickups you’ve stashed in your inventory, so stocking up before the final fight gives you a nice buffer for the first few NG+ missions.
If you already beat the final boss and didn’t finish side content, you don’t have to start a whole new base game save. You can load your post-credits save, go back to any completed mission to wrap up collectibles or side quests, and then start NG+ whenever you’re ready.
Key NG+ Difficulty Modifiers You Need to Prepare For
NG+ isn’t just the same base game with tougher enemies, there are a handful of subtle modifiers that change how you approach every fight. The first and most obvious change is that all enemies have 2x base health and deal 30% more damage than they do on the same difficulty in the base game. That means a standard Imp fireball that only took 10% of your health on base game hard mode will take 13% in NG+, and take twice as many shots to take down.
You’ll also run into new enemy attack patterns you didn’t see in the base game. For example, Hell Knights now have a fast charge attack that stuns you for 2 seconds if you don’t dodge out of the way, and Cacodemons will throw two fireballs at once instead of one. The biggest surprise for most new NG+ players is the random elite enemy spawns that pop up even in early mission areas, so you can’t sleep on low-level zones like you did on your first run.
On higher NG+ difficulties, you’ll also run into enemies with random elemental modifiers: fire, poison, or lightning. Each modifier adds extra damage over time, and lightning modifiers can even stun you briefly if you take a direct hit. You don’t have to memorize every modifier right away, just keep an eye out for the colored glow around enemies to know what you’re up against.
Optimal Loadouts and Builds for NG+ Success
You can get away with a pretty casual build on your first playthrough, but NG+ demands a more intentional setup if you want to avoid dying every five minutes. I’ve tested 12 different builds across my runs, and these three are the most consistent for both casual and hard difficulty runs:
No matter which build you pick, make sure you prioritize upgrading your armor’s elemental resistance first. The random elemental enemy modifiers can chip away at your health faster than you can heal, so putting 3-4 upgrade points into fire and poison resistance will save you dozens of deaths over the course of your run. You can purchase extra Hell Rage potions from hidden vendors in the second and fourth missions, so keep an eye out for secret rooms if you’re playing on higher difficulties. These potions give you 10 seconds of invincibility and infinite ammo, and they’re a lifesaver for tough boss fights.
Exclusive NG+ Rewards Worth Grinding For
A lot of players skip NG+ because they think it’s just the same game with harder enemies, but there are a ton of exclusive rewards you can’t get anywhere else. First, there are 8 new NG+ exclusive runes, including one that lets you revive once per mission without restarting from a checkpoint, which is a game-changer for hard runs. These runes don’t transfer back to base game saves, but they work for all future NG+ runs once you unlock them.
There are also 12 exclusive weapon skins, including the golden Crucible skin that glows in dark areas and makes it easier to spot hidden secrets. If you’re a completionist, you’ll also be happy to know that NG+ has 20 new exclusive collectibles that add extra lore about the Dark Ages setting and the Doom Slayer’s time in this era. All NG+ exclusive rewards carry over to all future saves, so you only have to unlock them once to use them on every subsequent run.
If you’re up for a real challenge, beating NG+ on Ultra Nightmare difficulty unlocks a new playable character: the original Doom Guy from the 1993 classic, with a unique voice line pack and custom animation set. You’ll also unlock a secret ending if you collect all 8 NG+ runes and beat the final boss again, which ties up loose ends from the base game’s story and teases future Doom content.
At the end of the day, Doom the dark ages new game plus is more than just a harder replay of the base game. It’s a chance to test the skills you built over your first playthrough, unlock cool exclusive content, and experience the game’s brutal combat in a whole new way. You don’t have to jump into the hardest difficulty right away; start on the standard NG+ setting to get used to the modifiers, and work your way up if you want a bigger challenge. If you take the tips I’ve laid out here, you’ll be dominating your runs and unlocking every exclusive reward in no time.
