Doom Eternal exploded onto the scene in March of 2020, at the very beginning of what would be a turning point in human history. While many were afraid to leave their house, several hundred thousand others were perfectly happy to be glued to their monitors judging by the game’s first-week Steam sales of over 700,000 copies.
Doom Eternal’s epic single-player campaign continues the story that started with the id Software LLC Doom reboot from 2016 while upgrading everything from the game mechanics to traversal and graphics. But, perhaps the biggest addition to the package is Doom Eternal’s Battlemode.
This new online multiplayer experience expands upon the Doom 2016 multiplayer feature that lets you play as a demon for a short amount of time while retaining the intense first-person combat in this new role.
Doom Eternal Battlemode Rules
Now, what you have is a 2v1 asymmetrical combat extravaganza where there are two players taking control of two of six playable demons, and the other player is a fully armed Doom Slayer. The game mode proceeds as a best-of-five match competition, where either the slayer stomps out both demons, or the two demons work together to put the slayer down.
That’s not an easy task, considering the Doom Slayer has all of his weapons in their maximum upgrade state. But, the challenge is evened out by giving the demons the ability to respawn with half of their total health if their teammate can stay alive long enough.
Playable Demons
If you’ve played through the Doom Eternal campaign and the Ancient Gods expansion, then you know what the Doom Slayer is capable of when he’s out to conquer demons. He has all of his standard in-game abilities, including the ultra-violent glory kill available to him.
The much more interesting portion of the Doom Eternal Battle Mode is the 6 playable demons and their associated unique abilities. Here is an overview of all of the Doom Eternal enemies you can control in Battlemode.
Arch-vile
Can teleport over short distances, its powers lend themselves nicely to area denial and movement restriction.
Dread Knight
An incredibly fast demon that can double jump and access a wide range of attacks, although some are tied to a cooldown timer.
Marauder
Specializes in close-range attacks and can also double jump and dash.
Mancubus
A tank-like demon; very slow but can take a ton of damage.
Pain Elemental
An airborne demon that can air-dash, and uses mobility to avoid taking damage since it can’t take cover.
Revenant
A balanced demon that can fly short distances.
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Upgrades Available in Doom Eternal’s Battlemode
Both sides can pick an upgrade in between rounds to give them an advantage in the next one. Here are the different upgrades for the Slayer and the demons.
Slayer Upgrades
- Burning Hate – cuts flame belch cooldown in half, armor loot drops more frequently
- Dashing – Causes the dash move to recharge faster or instantly with chainsaw and glory kills.
- Double Down – Gives Slayer an additional grenade charge and increases grenade power.
- Master Carve – Affects chainsaw: attacks are faster, cause more ammo drops, faster recharge.
- Resource Drain – Increased frequency of health drops.
- Speed Demon – Faster animations and extended range for glory kill.
Demon Upgrades
All player-controlled demons share four common upgrades and have an additional two that are unique in Doom Eternal Battlemode.
Common Upgrades
- Thieving Hand – Heals the use by half of the total damage inflicted by summoned minions.
- Bigger Bar – 500 additional points added to base health points.
- Buff Minions – 50% more damage output by summoned minions.
- Tactician – Extra duration and faster recharge for tactical actions.
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Arch-vile
- Fire Specialist – The Flame Wall ability now reflects attacks.
- Broiling Heat – Associated with the Lake of Fire ability; causes enemies to receive an extra 25% damage while dealing 25% less damage.
Dread Knight
- Ferocity – The Energy Wave projectile now reduces the Berserk ability’s cooldown whenever it hits the Slayer.
- Enshroud – Instead of dealing damage, the Ground Slam ability now creates smoke that grants invisibility for a short period.
Marauder
- Best Friend – When you summon a wolf, it will now have an extra 200 health points, and you’ll receive a 25% damage reduction bonus for 3 seconds every time it damages the Slayer.
- Bury the Hatchet – Gain a 50% speed boost for 3 seconds every time you land a direct axe hit.
Mancubus
- Hot Like Fire – The flamethrower’s recharge speed is now doubled.
- Quick Smoke – Increases speed for 3 seconds after throwing a smoke bomb. This upgrade can be stacked with Haste to result in faster movement than the Slayer himself.
Pain Elemental
- Lingering Soul – This creates a hazard for four seconds after the Soul Shield projectile is used.
- Fit Meatball – 50% faster recharge for the air dash ability.
Revenant
- Unstable Trigger – Reduces Rocket Barrage ability to recharge by 3 seconds and adds additional rockets when activated.
- Acrobat – Applies to the Jetpack ability; fuel is increased by 40%, one second less to recharge, and no penalty if running out of fuel using Afterburner.
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Doom Eternal Battlemode Tips
In order to become a Battlemode beast, at least on the Doom Slayer side of things, you should have played through the game’s campaign and have a good grasp of the Slayer’s mechanics. There’s not much room in Battlemode for learning, and only intense violence users will come out victorious.
And that’s even without considering the seemingly insurmountable odds the playable demons face. Going up against one fully loaded slayer, even in a team with two player-controlled demons, is a true challenge. And since there’s no way to get practice with demons in the campaign, you have to enter Doom Eternal’s Battlemode to sharpen your skills.
However, all hope is not lost. There are a few helpful methods you can use in your forays into Battlemode to get the most out of each match while you learn. Here are a few tips to bring about your opponent’s final destruction in Doom Eternal Battlemode.
If You’re the Slayer, Stay Mobile
Regardless of the map you end up on, there will always be a ton of mobility options for the Slayer. Just like when you’re playing the single-player game mode, you will want to use all of the monkey bars, jump pads, and portals available to you.
Making sure you’re constantly on the move in Doom Eternal Battlemode games will make you a difficult target for the enemy while you push forward into their territory to do your killing and then make a quick escape.
For Demons, Team Composition is Key to Winning Battlemode in Doom Eternal
If you decide to play on the demon team, the odds will be stacked against you. Your enemy will be the hero of the entire franchise, and he’ll be gunning for you just like the demons that invaded Earth in the campaign. The good news is that your team will consist of two playable demons that you can mix and match from the 6 demon characters.
The ultimate combination of demons will depend on how you synergize with your teammate, Generally, you’ll want a good balance of abilities. For instance, one good combination is a Revenant that will watch and keep pressure on the slayer with its Rocket Barrage, while a Marauder gives chase on the ground.
Summarising Our Guide on How to Play Doom Eternal’s Battlemode
Battlemode in Doom Eternal is an incredibly action-packed, violent, and fun experience! We highly recommend anyone who hasn’t taken it for a spin dive right in.
