Thanks to its semi-open world structure and its bevy of optional content, the shooter is going to be much longer than its predecessors.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is expanding on the DOOM formula in a number of ways, one of the more prominent among them being its switch to a semi-open world structure. The first-person shooter will see players exploring a variety of levels together making up what id has called “the largest play space ever in a DOOM game”. But what will that mean for the game’s runtime?

Speaking during a Q&A session attended by, director Hugo Martin and executive producer Marty Stratton labeled DOOM: The Dark Ages as id Software’s biggest and most ambitious game yet. Though specific details on the game’s runtime weren’t provided, Martin called it “really long”, with the duo highlighting the amount of optional content that will be available to players.

“It kinda depends on how you’re playing, like any game,” Stratton said. “But it’s the biggest game, the biggest campaign we’ve ever made by a good bit. If you’re exploring those levels, there’s just tons of side content.”

Speaking about said side content, Martin added, “I think it’s gonna be mostly about secret hunting. If you explore all the secrets and you’re a completionist, you’re certainly gonna make it a much larger experience for yourself.”

Martin also spoke about the length of individual levels in the game, revealing that each level will be roughly an hour long on average.

“We don’t want it to be too long. We don’t want a single level to overstay its welcome,” he said, before adding, “I think the sweet spot is right at about an hour, no more. So a lot of honestly what we’re doing right now is refining it and making sure that we stay in that that space. But it is a massive campaign for sure.”

DOOM: The Dark Ages launches on May 15 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.