id Software has released Title Update 2.2 for Doom: The Dark Ages and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

Patch 2.2 brings new handheld optimizations and quality-of-life improvements. It adds a special handheld benchmark mode and new advanced settings made just for handheld devices. The update also improves sound and visual effects for handhelds. When you launch the game for the first time, it will now automatically detect and set the best settings for your device. You can still change these settings later based on your own preferences.

Update 2.2 also packs some gameplay tweaks and fixes for all platforms. For instance, it fixes an issue where death and damage stats were not being registered properly in the case of multiple damage instances on the same frame as an entity death. Shield will now account for melee stagger and correctly recovers from being staggered out of a melee strike while attempting to block/parry. A crash that could occur when the player used the shield throw on the Plasma Shield Soldiers with the “Power Surge” shield upgrade has also been fixed.

And that’s not all. Patch 2.2 also fixes a bug where the first-person gore effect flickered around the edges of the screen during enemy execution moves when resolution scaling was turned on. It also reduces the damage from some enemies, like the Agaddon Hunter, Cosmic Baron, Hell Knight, and Komodo, so your shield won’t break from just one hit on Nightmare difficulty. On top of that, the devs adjusted the Brink of Death system to work more like it did at launch, improving how combat feels overall.

Like always, Steam will download this update the next time you launch its client. Below, you can also find its complete changelog.

Stay tuned for more!

Doom: The Dark Ages Patch 2.2 Release Notes

New Handheld Optimizations 

Handheld Setting Autodetection

• On first launch, the game will autodetect the optimal settings for handheld devices. Handheld First Launch Auto Detection is specific to handhelds. Players may further customize the settings based on personal preferences

• Settings are now stored per device so players may customize their play experience on a per device basis

Handheld Performance

• General performance improvements specific to handhelds

• Added advanced optimization settings specifically for handhelds

• Optimized SFX and VFX specifically for handhelds (Changes do not affect Consoles or PC)

• Handheld benchmark mode

Handheld Device Specifications

Performance depends on selected power mode and whether the device is attached to a dedicated power source. Values detailed here assume the device is using the highest power setting in the OS and is not running from battery

• Steam Deck : 720p @ ~30FPS

• Z1 Devices : 720p @ ~30FPS (such as ASUS ROG Ally)

• Z1E Devices : 1080p @ ~30FPS (such as ASUS ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go)

• Z2A Devices : 720p @ ~30FPS (such as XBOX ROG Ally)

• Z2E Devices : 1080p @ ~60FPS (such as XBOX ROG Ally X)

*Results are based on testing with pre-release drivers. Personal results may vary with newer drivers and user selected power settings on a per device basis

Handheld General

• Added QOL input improvements when handhelds are docked to a stand

• Added controller detection on handhelds for wireless and wired external controllers

General Bug Fixes and Improvements (All Platforms)

Enemy AI

• Fixed an issue with Sentinel civilians‘ heads being out of place in Hebeth, Siege – Part 1, and Sentinel Command Station

• Resolved a rare crash if the player used the shield throw on the Plasma Shield Soldiers with the “Power Surge” shield upgrade

Final Battle

• Visuals for area denial when Prince Ahzrak blood pillars expire now render correctly

• Fixed a rare crash when using the BFC during the beginning of each phase of the enhanced Prince Ahzrak boss fight

Gameplay

Weapon Balance

• Fixed an issue where death and damage stats were not being registered properly in the case of multiple damage instances on the same frame as an entity death

  • This change also addressed a bug where the Accelerator mastery challenge wasn’t being incremented properly

• Cycler Plasma Gun will no longer glow white on firing with Berserker Power in Harbor of Souls and Resurrection

• Shield now accounts for melee stagger and correctly recovers from being staggered out of a melee strike while attempting to block/parry. Prevents a shield lockout and prevents a case where the shield would pop up into the block state briefly well after the input was released

Levels

Combat Encounter Updates

Hebeth

• Fixed an issue where reloading checkpoints after the gold and sentinel shrine tutorial could cause objectives to vanish until level restart or transition

Sentinel Barracks

• Mancubus no longer respawns during the Vagary Champion boss fight

• Removed Hell Knight and Stalker Imp reinforcements from Mancubus Leader spawn wave in the burning tree fight

Siege – Part 1

• Hell Knights, Stalker Imps, and Imps no longer respawn during the Vagary fights throughout the battlefield

• The wolf statue ruby will no longer get stuck behind a red energy gate if it is not collected after breaking the wolf statues and reloading the south gore portal checkpoint

Siege – Part 2

• Fixed an issue where an errant Titan could appear in the courtyard when reloading the checkpoint 

Ancestral Forge

• Arachnotron no longer respawns during Agaddon Hunter fight at the end of heart sandbox section

• Fixed a potential crash when loading a checkpoint after dying in the Agaddon Hunter fight in the Ancestral Courtyard

Spire of Nerathul

• Chaingun Arachnotron no longer respawns during final encounter of the cathedral stasis emitter section

Temple of Lomarith

• Arachnotron and Cacodemon no longer respawn during the shipwreck morale fight

• The melee pickups now appear correctly on the secret boat “Hell Knight rush” encounter

Resurrection

• The armored Arachnotron that spawns after the Acolyte dies no longer respawns during first morale fight

Reckoning

• Arachnotron no longer respawns during buffed Agaddon Hunter encounter

The Ripatorium

• Vagaries should now only spawn in open areas where they can move around

Audio

• Fixed an issue where the Shield Saw grinding SFX could stop playing if the player opened the Dossier while the shield is in a power node and then returns to gameplay

UI

• Fixed an issue where second codex does not register progress if mission select was entered before completion or collected via mission select

• Resolved an issue with the tutorial in the Ripatorium menu always appearing when entering the menu regardless of whether or not the Player had already played the mode

• Fixed a bug where opening the Dossier the frame after breaking a metal lock or using any switch could cause the trigger to fail and block progression

• Addressed a potential crash when Alt-Tabbing away and returning to the game when the game is at a load screen

VFX

• Corrected an issue where picking up a toy could cause the shield or equipped weapon visual effects to appear during the animation

• Stray purple lines will no longer appear when overloading a Cacodemon using the Cycler

• Addresses a bug where the first-person gore overlay flickered around screen edges during AI execute actions when resolution scaling was active

Newly Added Active Tunables

Active Tunable gameplay refinements are denoted below as: (*AT) for “Active Tunable”

• (*AT) Reduced damage of certain attacks from the Agaddon Hunter, Cosmic Baron, Hell Knight, and Komodo to reduce the number of attacks that break the shield in one hit on Nightmare Difficulty

• (*AT) Adjusted the Brink of Death system on all difficulties to be more in line with launch day values  

Developer Note: The Dark Ages (and Eternal) was designed from the start to allow players the chance to fight their way back from a near death experience – this system is known as the Brink of Death. When your health is low, by design, you are at your most alert and engaged. We’ve re-tuned this system’s values to settings closer to launch, enhancing this aspect of the combat.