Key Highlights:
- The now cancelled DOOM 4 had a multitude of screenshots and artwork leak online.
- These detail new enemies, a Hell region and modern FPS gameplay.
- DOOM 4 was canned in favor of DOOM (2016), a move that is largely appreciated.
Before the arrival of the beloved, critically acclaimed DOOM remake (the 2016 version), the team a id Software was heading in a completely different direction, and the product back then could be best described as ‘Call of Doom’, a gritty, military FPS based on DOOM with a heavy dose of CoD like gameplay and presentation.
All things considered, it was probably for the best when Call of Doom aka DOOM 4 was cancelled in favor of DOOM 2016, which was touted as a return to the roots of the iconic franchise, something which it achieved remarkably well.
That being said, DOOM 4 seems like a missed opportunity for another spinoff DOOM game by id Software, and the recent series of leaks surrounding it only make it an even more bitter pill to swallow.
DOOM 4 Development Screenshots Emerge Online
DOOM 4's NY "Hell Dimension" environment. Apparently hell was going to be part of the game and not being set exclusively on Earth!
— Crispies (@Runhob) December 14, 2025
-Nicholas Bell #DOOM4 #DOOM #LostMedia pic.twitter.com/DghbhazaTx
The development of DOOM 4 has been a long and convoluted one, taking many twists and turns along the way before being entirely reworked into DOOM 2016. We’ve already had teasers and gameplay footage for Call of DOOM prior, but a recent series of leaks has given us access to a wider breadth of information that was otherwise considered confidential.
Of particular importance here would be the ‘Hell dimension’ screenshots shared by X user Crispies (Runhob), which indicates a return to the demonic spawn point of Hell in some part of the campaign.
Which totally makes sense, given it is still a DOOM game after all. There have also been screenshots of in-game enemies, including the likes of the ‘Hellscar’ and corpse like zombie enemies.
The most important distinction between DOOM 4 and DOOM 2016 is in its presentation and overall gameplay, or so it would appear. 2016 was way more fast paced, and features the titular doomguy as its protagonist.
On the other hand, DOOM 4 was more CoD-like, and likely featured a much more elaborate campaign (something which was glossed over in the 2016 reboot).
This Could Have Been a Great Spin off Title
While there is no way that DOOM 4 could have worked as a mainline title, it could have been a great spin off at the very least. The now cancelled Call of Doom was heavily inspired from military first person shooters, and looked like a cross between DOOM 3 and Call of Duty, which doesn’t sound too terrible at first glance.
This ranged from its story to its presentation and gameplay elements, and we’re not really sure that it would have been received positively from fans. This was from an era where every franchise was trying to mimic the success of Call of Duty, and with varying degrees of success and fatigue.
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While DOOM 4 underwent significant changes along the way, and we’re pretty sure that id Software would have made a compelling first person shooter regardless, the fact remains that the game was not DOOM.
In a way, it was a good thing that the game got canned in favor of DOOM 2016, which is way superior title.
That being said, Call of Doom could still be repurposed into a spin off title, and a pretty good one at that. The interest for the game is there, and with a bit of tweaking it could have established itself as one of the better FPS games on offer, although the chances of that happening now are next to none.
