id Software has released Title Update 4.0 for Doom: The Dark Ages and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new patch brings to the table.

Patch 4.0 brings several improvements to Ripatorium, the game’s round-based custom arena challenge mode.

The update shortens the passcodes used to share custom encounters, making them easier to send to friends. Players can now save and load their own encounter presets. The patch also adds more options for health and ammo settings.

In addition, Patch 4.0 introduces a Continuous Spawn mode. In this mode, players can set new waves of demons to spawn during each round instead of waiting until every enemy has been defeated.

The PC version now supports dynamic resolution scaling with all major upscaling technologies, including DLSS, FSR, and XeSS. This will let players use higher-quality upscaling settings while keeping smooth frame rates, even during the most demanding battles.

The update also upgrades DLSS to version 4.5. DLSS 4.5 has a better upscaling model. There is also support for DLSS 4.5 5X and 6X Frame Gen on compatible NVIDIA GPUs.

And that’s not all. Patch 4.0 comes with enemy AI tweaks and balance changes. For instance, certain enemy projectiles can no longer pass through other enemies. The devs have added a threat indicator for hitscan weapons, and they have fixed VFX timing for some melee attacks.

Patch 4.0 also includes several gameplay improvements. For instance, it makes the Dreadmace, Flail, and Power Gauntlet feel more responsive after certain melee attacks. It also improves how chest wounds appear, giving players more consistent visual feedback during combat.

In addition, the update improves ragdoll physics for full-body gib effects caused by the Super Shotgun, Plasma Cycler kills, and Atlan executions. Finally, the Daze Duration slider now defaults to 100% on every difficulty level. It was previously set to 75% on Ultra-Violence and higher.

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

Doom: The Dark Ages Patch 4.0 Release Notes

Ripatorium 3.0 Updates

• The average passcode length for base game encounter sharing has been shortened, making it easier to share with friends 

• Players can now save and load personal encounter presets 

• Continuous spawn mode: set respawn waves of demons within the rounds to continuously respawn instead of fully eliminating existing enemies within a wave 

• More options for health and ammo: configure encounters with no pickups, single use pickups, or pickups that respawn on a 5-minute timer 

• New Berserk slider that allows for no Berserk pickups, a one-time use Berserk pickup, a Berserk pickup respawning on a 5-minute timer, or unlimited Berserk 

• New BFC ammo slider allows for 0-3 ammo 

---

🎯Game Settings Updates

⬇️Revelations Only

Game

• Revelations Tutorials (Default: ON) 

  • New tutorial setting specific to Revelations content

  • Highly recommended it stays ‘ON’ for first playthrough

Difficulty

• Perfect Dodge Window

  • Adjusts how long the Perfect Dodge window is active when Dashing with the Chain Spear

UI

• Enable Spear Empowerment (Default: ON)

  • Toggle whether the Spear empowerment meter displays under reticle

• HUD Styles (Default: HIDDEN)

  • Can be unlocked after defeating specific content in Revelations

  • Customize your HUD so that it is themed like previous DOOM games

Controls and Binds

• Chain Spear abilities have Input Style toggles that can be customized to your preference

• A new section for Chain Spear binds has been added

General

Game

• Damage Direction Indicator on Mitigation (Default: OFF)

  • Toggle whether you see directional damage indicators in moments where you avoid incoming damage such as blocking, parrying or dodging

UI

• Melee Pip Style (Default: Weapon Icons)

  • Choose between generic pips or weapon icons for melee charges under reticle

🔚

---

⚖️Balance Updates + 🐞Bug Fixes

Gameplay 

Melee 

• Increased responsiveness after certain melee attacks with the Dreadmace, Flail, and Power Gauntlet

Flail

• Now generates more armor drops on direct hit after acquiring the Ignite and Engulf upgrades

Dreadmace 

• Direct hit damage reduced against Superheavy demons and their Leader variants

• Area Damage reduced against Imp Stalkers and Hell Knights  

• Increased the speed of Execution animations that use the Dreadmace

• Melee pickups now provide reduced Dreadmace charge

Heaven Splitter

• Reduced the duration of the stun effect for all demons

• Fixed a bug where the Heaven Splitter cooldown was not being applied across different projectile types

• Fixed an issue where repeatedly parrying projectiles of the same type would refresh the cooldown of the Heaven Splitter each time, preventing its use

Combat Shotgun

• Fixed an issue where explosions caused by the Blast upgrade appeared smaller than the actual damage radius

• Fixed an issue where killing the Vagary with the Blast upgrade equipped resulted in a smaller-than-intended explosion

Skullcrusher Ravager

• Increased movement speed penalty for base weapon plus its Ignition and Slow Burn upgrades

• Fixed issue where ammo and health drops from upgraded Ravager fire could fail to drop against certain enemies with high base damage resistance (such as Prince Ahzrak) when damage to demons is set lower than 100%

Impaler

• Fixed an issue that awarded the Stalwart ammo drop by recalling the Shield and contacting a Superheavy demon. It should only trigger this ammo drop when enemies are stunned by the Shield Saw

Shredder

• Fixed an issue where the Shredder wouldn’t deal bonus headshot damage with Ricochet equipped after being fully upgraded 

Gore and Ragdolls

• Updated how chest wounds trigger to provide more consistent visual feedback during gameplay

• Updated ragdoll behavior for full body gibs with Super Shotgun, kills with Plasma Cycler and Atlan executions 

Slayer Damage Feedback

• Improved audio and visual feedback to better communicate when entering low or critical health (Brink of Death) states  

Difficulty

• All difficulties now default the Daze Duration slider to 100% (was previously 75% on Ultra-Violence and above) 

Atlan

• Removed delay when attempting to punch while sprinting

---

👿Enemy AI

General

• Certain enemy projectiles can no longer pass through other enemies 

• Added threat indicator for hitscan weapons 

• Fixed VFX timing for some melee attacks 

• Fixed twitch pain responses on some Superheavy demons 

Vagary

• Fixed Vagary becoming unresponsive in areas with tight navigation 

Agaddon Hunter

• Disabled player lock-on when Agaddon Hunter is shielded 

• Improved validation for front execution 

• Fixed issue where some twitch pains could stack excessively 

• Fixed Agaddon Hunter shield not disabling in some cases during death 

Cyberdemon 

• New knockback wing attack added 

Komodo 

• Fixed an issue where Graviton attack VFX did not update for parry recoloring 

Baron

• Fixed an issue where the Cursed Fireball could do double damage to the Shield when blocking 

• Increased aggression when coming out of falter 

Whiplash

• Fixed an issue where parried attacks wouldn’t provide melee charges 

• Improved pain response when ‘Empowered Attacks’ setting is enabled

Cacodemon

• Fixed laser projectiles occasionally firing at unintentionally high speeds 

Hell Knight

• Fixed an issue where leap-pound attack could damage players twice 

Tentacle

• Fixed hit collision so it can continue to be damaged while submerging

---

🗺️Levels

Sentinel Barracks

• Fixed issue where Pulverizer codex would not be awarded on pickup 

Ancestral Forge

• Added checkpoints that trigger after finishing combat in the 3 major switch arena fights 

• Fixed a bug that caused the player to get locked out of the ending Agaddon Hunter fight 

From Beyond

• The starting cinematic of petting Serrat will play when the level is selected from map select screen after the mission has been completed the first time. 

Final Battle

• Fix for a bug where the player could potentially spawn in as the Slayer during the Atlan Sequence. 

Reckoning

• Moved gold pickups to prevent them from being inaccessible in a rare bug where a Mancubus does not break down a wall

---

🎰UI

HUD

• Melee pip icons under the reticle now indicate which melee weapon is currently equipped 

• Subtitles now scale independently of HUD scale 

• Fixed an issue where low/critical health animations continued to persist after no longer being in these states 

• Fixed an issue with the HUD Extra Lives counter getting out of sync with actual game state 

• Fixed an issue with the Extra Life counter not properly scaling with the Font Scale Accessibility Setting 

Settings

• Fixed an issue with the Empowered Attacks setting getting saved in profile scope instead of game slot scope despite appearing in the difficulty section 

• Fixed an issue where the subtitle background opacity setting did not function 

• Updated the save slot screen to display the difficulty settings that appear when continuing a save slot as disabled and informational-only 

• Updated the default input for Recenter Automap from “R” to “X” on Mouse and Keyboard

Menus

• Loading Screen presentation has been changed to emphasize game tips. 

• Fixed an issue that allowed the ability to accidentally refuse an extra life or go back to main menu on death by pressing the cancel key bind 

• Fixed an issue that caused the dossier to be able to be opened over top of the pause menu 

• Fixed an issue causing 0% campaign completion showing on the End of Level screens when progress had been made 

• Fixed an issue with the Magnify option force-closing the Dossier 

Tutorials

• Fixed an issue where some tutorials were showing binds from incorrect bindsets 

• Fixed an issue with tutorial tip dialogs re-appearing every game session 

Cinematics

• Fixed an issue where two button or key presses were required to skip cinematics 

Credits

• Fast Forward functionality was added to all Credits 

---

👾Graphics 

• On PC, all upscaling technologies (DLSS, FSR, and XeSS) now support dynamic resolution scaling, allowing players to select higher upscaling quality settings while maintaining strong frame rates during demanding combat scenarios

• Upgraded to DLSS 4.5, featuring an enhanced upscaling model and support for 5x and 6x Frame Generation modes on compatible GPUs