id Software's 2016 reboot launched on 13 May 2016 and rebuilt the series by removing every reason to stop moving. Glory Kills drop health, the chainsaw drops ammunition, and cover does nothing at all, so the 13 campaign missions from The UAC through Kadingir Sanctum to Argent D'Nur reward forward pressure over caution. This is the reboot rather than DOOM Eternal or the 1993 original, and its pace still outruns most shooters released since.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best characters, weapons worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Glory Kills
Damaged demons stagger and flash, and a melee press executes them for a burst of health. That is the entire health economy, because medkits are scarce and finite, so the correct answer to a low health bar is to push into the nearest stunned demon rather than retreat behind geometry.
Chainsaw ammunition economy
The chainsaw runs on fuel, costing between one and three cans depending on the size of the demon, and a chainsaw kill sprays enough ammunition pickups to refill most of the arsenal. Keeping one can in reserve at all times is the difference between a full loadout and a pistol.
Weapon mods and Field Drones
Field Drones hidden in the levels grant weapon mods, and each gun holds two. The Combat Shotgun takes Explosive Shot or Charged Burst, the Gauss Cannon takes Precision Bolt or Siege Mode, and the Super Shotgun and BFG 9000 take no mods at all. Mastery challenges then upgrade whichever mod you keep equipped.
Rune Trials
Rune Trials are timed challenges hidden inside missions, and completing one grants a passive rune. Only three can be equipped at once out of twelve, so the choice is real: Savagery for faster Glory Kills and In-Flight Mobility for air control are the two most builds refuse to drop.
Praetor Suit and Argent Cells
Praetor Tokens taken from dead Elite Guard corpses buy suit perks such as Area-Scanning Technology, which puts secrets on the automap. Argent Cells are a separate currency that upgrades only Health, Armour or Ammo capacity, and those choices stay locked in for that playthrough.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our DOOM combat guide.
Characters Overview
| Role | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glory Kill Rusher | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Super Shotgun Brawler | S | Get inside Hell Knight and Pinky range where they cannot use their charges properly, fire, dash sideways during the reload, and use the chainsaw when shells run dry. | Ammo capacity, then Health, then Armour |
| Gauss Cannon Marksman | A | Charge Siege Mode only when the nearest demon is far enough away to matter, drop heavy targets first, and swap to Precision Bolt in the missions with tight corridors. | Ammo capacity, then Armour, then Health |
| Rocket Crowd Controller | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Chainsaw Economy Runner | B | Saw a Possessed the moment ammunition dips, since small demons cost one fuel can, and keep the BFG for the moment an arena spawns a Baron and a Mancubus together. | Ammo capacity, then Health, then Armour |
Super Shotgun Brawler (S-Tier): The Super Shotgun does more damage per shell than anything short of the BFG, and it has no mods to complicate it. This build closes distance on purpose and treats the reload as the rhythm of the fight.
Gauss Cannon Marksman (A-Tier): Siege Mode turns the Gauss Cannon into the game's heaviest single hit, capable of killing a Baron of Hell outright. The cost is that you cannot move while charging, so it needs to be timed against arena lulls.
Chainsaw Economy Runner (B-Tier): A discipline more than a loadout, built for Nightmare and Ultra-Nightmare runs. The chainsaw is treated as a resource generator on a schedule rather than an emergency button, which keeps the heavy weapons loaded all the way through an arena.
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our DOOM builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Weapons Guide
| Weapon | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Super Shotgun | Two barrels, enormous close range damage and no weapon mods at all. | Close quarters against heavy demons, and any fight where a Glory Kill stagger needs setting up fast. |
| Combat Shotgun | The workhorse, carried from the first mission to the last. | General purpose fighting and staggering demons into Glory Kill range at medium distance. |
| Gauss Cannon | A precision energy rifle with two very different mods. | Barons of Hell, Mancubi and any heavy demon you can hit from across an arena. |
| Rocket Launcher | Splash damage with two mods that change its role entirely. | Cacodemons, Revenants and clustered Imps that a shotgun would take too long to clear. |
| BFG 9000 | Three shots at a time, no mods, and it deletes almost everything in line of sight. | Arena waves that spawn multiple Barons or a Cyber-Mancubus alongside a full crowd. |
Super Shotgun: Two barrels, enormous close range damage and no weapon mods at all. It removes Hell Knights and Pinkies in a couple of shots and stays the most efficient damage per shell in the game from the moment you find it.
Combat Shotgun: The workhorse, carried from the first mission to the last. Charged Burst fires a fast triple shot where landing all three boosts the next burst, and Explosive Shot arcs a grenade-like round into groups.
Gauss Cannon: A precision energy rifle with two very different mods. Precision Bolt charges a zoomed shot for headshot damage, and Siege Mode charges a piercing beam at the cost of all movement while it winds up.
Rocket Launcher: Splash damage with two mods that change its role entirely. Lock-On Burst marks up to three targets and fires at all of them, and Remote Detonation lets you burst a rocket in mid air over a group.
BFG 9000: Three shots at a time, no mods, and it deletes almost everything in line of sight. Ammunition is genuinely rare, so it functions as a panic button for the two or three worst moments in each mission.
Full breakdowns in our DOOM weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Operations | Mission 2 of 13 | Early weapon mods, first Rune Trials, Praetor Tokens from Elite Guards |
| Kadingir Sanctum | Mission 6 of 13 | Hell themed secrets, classic map fragments, Argent Cells |
| Lazarus Labs | Mission 9 of 13 | Cyberdemon boss fight, major story data logs, late game weapon upgrades |
| The Necropolis | Mission 11 of 13 | Hell Guard boss fight, late Rune Trials, Praetor Suit completion |
| Argent D'Nur | Mission 13 of 13 | Spider Mastermind boss fight, the campaign ending, final collectibles |
Resource Operations: The second mission and the first proper arena teaching level, where Gore Nests and the wave system are introduced properly. It also hands over the Combat Shotgun mods and the first Rune Trials worth chasing.
Kadingir Sanctum: The first full Hell level, all bone architecture and open drops, and a sharp difficulty increase over the Mars facilities. Hell Knights and Summoners appear in numbers here for the first time.
Lazarus Labs: The UAC research wing where Olivia Pierce's work is laid out in data logs, and the mission that ends in the Cyberdemon fight. The arena is large and circular, which is the only reason the fight is survivable.
The Necropolis: A vertical Hell fortress built around the Hell Guard encounter, first one and then two at once. It is the point where a build that neglected Armour and Ammo capacity stops working.
Argent D'Nur: The final mission, set in the ruined homeland of the Night Sentinels, and it closes on the Spider Mastermind. Everything before it is preparation for one long arena with no cover and no retreat.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Movement is the defence system. There is no cover mechanic, no regenerating health and no reload button, so standing still in an arena is the single most common cause of death on Ultra-Violence.
- Treat the chainsaw as an ammunition vending machine rather than a finisher. A Possessed costs one fuel can and drops enough pickups to refill several weapons, so saw the weakest demon in the room, not the biggest.
- Buy Area-Scanning Technology from the Praetor Suit menu as early as the tokens allow. It marks secrets on the automap, which is what turns collectible hunting from a slog into a two minute detour per level.
- Summoners take priority over everything else on screen. They teleport constantly and spawn extra demons for as long as they live, so a delayed Summoner kill compounds into an unwinnable arena.
- Rune Trials are timed and often awkward, but Savagery alone justifies the detour. Faster Glory Kill animations shorten the vulnerable window in every single fight for the rest of the campaign.
- Weapon mods are chosen per weapon and swapped freely, so carry the mod that fits the level. Explosive Shot on the Combat Shotgun suits open arenas, Charged Burst suits corridors and single targets.
- Argent Cell choices between Health, Armour and Ammo capacity do not reset. Health first is the safe order on a first run, and Ammo first suits players comfortable enough to rely on Glory Kills for healing.
- Every mission hides a classic DOOM map fragment behind a lever, and stepping through drops you into a small remade 1993 area. They are the easiest secrets in the game once the automap upgrade is active.
- Elite Guard corpses are the only source of Praetor Tokens, and there are a limited number per mission. Missing them permanently limits the suit upgrades available on that playthrough.
- Fight the Cyberdemon and the Hell Guard by circling the arena edge rather than crossing the middle. Both bosses telegraph ground attacks that hit the centre hardest, and the Gauss Cannon covers the distance anyway.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Backing into a corner when health drops, which removes every Glory Kill option and leaves you trapped as the arena fills behind you.
- Saving the chainsaw for emergencies and then running the entire mission on the pistol, when a single fuel can spent on a Possessed refills the whole arsenal.
- Ignoring Field Drones and finishing the campaign with half the weapon mods, which makes the Gauss Cannon and Rocket Launcher far weaker than they should be.
- Leaving Summoners alive while clearing smaller demons, which lets them keep spawning reinforcements until the arena is unmanageable.
- Confusing this game with DOOM Eternal and expecting Eternal's ice bomb, flame belch and dash resource loop, none of which exist in the 2016 reboot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is appid 379720 DOOM 2016 or DOOM Eternal?
It is DOOM (2016), the id Software reboot released on 13 May 2016. DOOM Eternal is a separate 2020 release with its own Steam entry, and DOOM: The Dark Ages is a different game again.
How does the health system work in DOOM 2016?
There is no regeneration. Health comes from pickups and from Glory Kills on staggered demons, so the game pushes you toward the fight rather than away from it. The chainsaw covers ammunition the same way.
Which runes should I equip?
Savagery for faster Glory Kill animations and In-Flight Mobility for air control are the two most players keep permanently. The third slot rotates, with Vacuum for wider pickup range and Blood Fueled for post kill speed both worth taking.
Which weapon mods are worth upgrading?
Combat Shotgun Charged Burst, Gauss Cannon Siege Mode and Rocket Launcher Lock-On Burst carry most of the campaign. The Super Shotgun and BFG 9000 have no mods, so upgrade points go elsewhere.
How many missions are in the campaign?
Thirteen, running from The UAC and Resource Operations through Kadingir Sanctum and Lazarus Labs to Argent D'Nur. Boss fights arrive with the Cyberdemon, the Hell Guard and the Spider Mastermind in the back half.
More DOOM Guides
- DOOM Best Builds
- DOOM Tier List
- DOOM Walkthrough
- DOOM Beginner's Guide
- DOOM Tips & Tricks
- DOOM Weapons Guide
- DOOM Combat Guide
- DOOM Boss Guide
- DOOM Maps & Locations
- DOOM Crafting Guide
- DOOM Classes & Characters
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