The number of the beast spells Doom for the game’s season pass.
You don’t often think of the number 666 in a positive light. The number of the beast, the mark of the beast, that birthmark on Damian’s head in the Omen; it’s come to signify the Antichrist and anti-Christian mythology, and also is heavily used in Satanism and Satan-worship.
But if you’re producing Doom – a game that very much celebrates its hellish tone – then you really want to do something special when the number 666 comes around, almost of its own accord. And in development terms, where major version numbers climb incrementally, it was inevitable that version 6 of the game would come around. Choosing to release a minor version .66? Well, that’s a choice, but it’s an appropriate one.
And Doom update 6.66 is a big one. What’s in it? This lot, according to a Bethesda community post:
- All multiplayer DLC is now free for all players – sorry, season pass holders, you’re not special any more.
- Revised progression system – a more skill-focused system with specific experience and challenges for different types of items and weapons.
- New rune system replaces the hack module system – allows users to add upgrades as before, but can now make these persistent.
- Enhanced kill notifications – basically, they’re made the UI easier to follow when you kill or are killed.
- All multiplayer progression reset – to make sure everyone starts the new systems on an even keel.
Yes, you read that correctly: all multiplayer progression is being reset to tie in with the new systems and changes to multiplayer.
Are there any benefits for players who purchased the DLC or had a stack of progression before Doom update 6.66 and subsequent multiplayer progression wipe? Well, sort of. There’s “a special badge indicating your veteran status” which is, you know, really valuable and totally equates to all that effort you poured in.
Doom update 6.66 released on all platforms, PC and console, on July 19th, 2017.
There’s also a free weekend going on right now, to allow players to try before they buy. And any progress you make during the free weekend will carry over to the main game, if you go on to purchase during the trial period.
