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.
Starting DOOM can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
DOOM is a fps game built around Glory Kills and Chainsaw ammunition economy. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Role
| Role | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Glory Kill Rusher | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Super Shotgun Brawler | Good (but demanding) | 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. |
| Gauss Cannon Marksman | Excellent for beginners | 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. |
| Rocket Crowd Controller | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Chainsaw Economy Runner | Situational | 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. |
Our recommendation: Start with Super Shotgun Brawler. 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.
Avoid Chainsaw Economy Runner as your first pick. A discipline more than a loadout, built for Nightmare and Ultra-Nightmare runs. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn 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.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Glory Kills works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to 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.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Combat Shotgun: it's the most accessible early upgrade. 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.
Step 4: Understand 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.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to 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.
Essential Mechanics Explained
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.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Backing into a corner when health drops, which removes every Glory Kill option and leaves you trapped as the arena fills behind you
2. 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
3. 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
4. Leaving Summoners alive while clearing smaller demons, which lets them keep spawning reinforcements until the arena is unmanageable
5. 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
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Glory Kills and Chainsaw ammunition economy
- Choose Super Shotgun Brawler as starting role
- Clear Resource Operations main content
- Acquire Combat Shotgun or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Kadingir Sanctum
- 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.
Tips for New Players
- 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.
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 DOOM Overview
- DOOM Best Builds
- DOOM Tier List
- DOOM Walkthrough
- 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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