Doom Eternal, the next video game installment in the Doom franchise, is coming to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo’s relationship with Doom is relatively new. While the original Doom released on the Super Nintendo and a Doom exclusive was created for the Nintendo 64, the hellspawn franchise has been mostly absent from the House of Mario in recent years. This changed when 2016’s Doom reboot was (successfully) ported to the Nintendo Switch in late 2017.
The sequel to 2016’s Doom, Doom Eternal is one of publisher Bethesda’s biggest upcoming games. While it’s been known since Doom Eternal’s announcement that the game was coming to PC, Xbox One and PS4, the status of Eternal on Nintendo Switch was left a mystery. Now things are clear, Doom Eternal will be coming to Switch and fans won’t have to wait as long as they did for the first Doom.
It’s from Doom’s official Twitter account that the news of Eternal on Nintendo Switch was announced. In a post that includes a gif from the recently released gameplay trailer of Doom Eternal, it’s stated the game will launch on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. This suggests that unlike the Doom reboot, which was released on Switch nearly a year after it first came to consoles, Doom Eternal will be available on Switch right away.
Obviously the Doom Eternal that releases on Switch won’t be as visually impressive as the version that comes to PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Nintendo’s console/handheld hybrid simply doesn’t have the technical power of its competition. Video game studio Panic Button, who did the Switch ports for the Doom reboot and another Bethesda shooter Wolfenstein II:The New Colossus, have done an extraordinarily job translating both those games to system. It appears the company will be on hand for Doom Eternal too since Panic Button tweeted out the news of Doom Eternal coming to Switch. Regardless if Panic Button is behind the port, the visual fidelity of and gameplay Doom Eternal on Switch will likely be similar to Doom and Wolfenstein II.
Doom Eternal coming to Switch isn’t just emblematic of the strong working relationship between Bethesda and Nintendo, it also proves how much of a success the new console has been for the company and gaming in general. Following the release of its previous console, the Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo was in rough shape. However, the Nintendo Switch has done tremendous sales figures and is attracting third-party publishers even when it requires extra time (and money) to port their games to the Switch. Doom Eternal launching on the Switch makes it obvious this version is just as high a priority as any other console’s port.
The simultaneous release of Doom Eternal could suggest other aspects of the Nintendo Switch’s future. The release further bolsters rumors that Bethesda could start to develop games specifically for the Nintendo Switch. At the very least, the publisher could implementing Nintendo Switch specific mechanics into its game. The precedent for this has already been set with Nintendo amiibo and motion control functionality in the Nintendo Switch port of Elder Scrolls IV: Skyrim.
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Doom Eternal does not yet have a release date.
Source: Doom
