It's Doom, but bigger and better
Note: This page will be updated as new content becomes available.
Hardcore Doom is a resource mod for Doom II by id Software. Its purpose is to expand upon the original game with additional content, including new weapons, items, enemy abilities, and more.
Why Hardcore Doom?
The Doom community has produced a massive number of gameplay and resource mods over the decades, but the experience is often disjointed. Sure, you can download a bunch of asset packs from places like Realm667 and piece together a mod that way, but no matter how much effort you put in, it's never going to feel truly cohesive.
A major advantage of Hardcore Doom is that it is designed almost entirely from the ground up by the same team (though we do incorporate some third-party resources), specifically to serve as a resource expansion for Doom II. Every sprite, every weapon, every prop—it all looks and feels unified. And best of all, it only requires a single, hassle-free download!
Another key advantage is official support. Hardcore Doom isn't just a mod—it's a community! This website hosts yearly mapping events open to everyone, using the mod as a base. If you have questions or need help, you can always visit the official Discord server.
Design Philosophy
Modding tools for Doom have become so powerful that the game can now be transformed into almost anything.
However, our goal isn't to turn Doom into just 'anything'.
Our objective is to preserve what made the original great while addressing its shortcomings. Hardcore Doom not only expands the game with more content but also updates certain mechanics and elements for a modern audience without straying too far from what made the original a classic.
Doom for the Modern Era
If you ask old-school fans which part of Doom has aged the worst, they-ll probably give you a funny look, as if you-ve committed some kind of heresy. But the fact is, certain mechanics have aged poorly, and being blinded by nostalgia doesn't help anyone.
Let's be real. Very few gamers under 40 are nostalgic for a time when proper mouse aim didn't exist and jumping wasn't possible. No doubt, some angry Doomer is already rushing to his YouTube page to make a furious video essay about how wrong I am, but that's no longer the majority opinion—at least, not anymore.
Hardcore Doom's gameplay is designed with modern control schemes and mechanics in mind, including jumping and free aiming. Most (but not all) weapons now also require reloading.
However, that doesn't mean we're turning Doom into Call of Duty.
Modern or not, you're still playing Doom, and this is reflected in certain balancing choices. For instance, while most of the mod's guns require reloading, they hold far more ammo than in most other shooters. The typical video game pump-action holds 8 shells if you're lucky—ours holds 16. In general, you can expect ammo capacities to be at least twice the standard, if not more.
Expanded Arsenal of Doom
It wouldn't be Doom without some cool new guns, and Hardcore Doom features a whopping 16 brand-new weapons, all created entirely from scratch just for this mod!
The basic idea is to give each original weapon (excluding the fist) a light and heavy alternative. Lighter weapons typically sacrifice firepower or range but benefit from faster rates of fire and potentially larger magazine capacities. Heavier weapons, on the other hand, pack a punch but may be more sluggish and have smaller magazines.
These new weapons can be placed into user-created levels or used as part of the Hardcore Doom Plus gameplay mod (see Hardcore Doom vs. Hardcore Doom Plus below).
Never before has Doom offered such an arsenal of destruction!
For a complete list of the new weapons, visit this page.
Old Monsters, New & Deadly Abilities
The original Doom and Doom II monsters make a triumphant return, enhanced with new attack and ability states.
The keyword here is 'ability'—these aren't just boring stat buffs where a monster is colored green and given twice the HP. Every enemy now has at least one new animation state, complete with new frames of animation, for their respective ability. For instance, a zombieman may occasionally throw a grenade, or the arch-vile might summon a fire tornado.
Community Events
Every so often (the target goal is once a year), an official Hardcore Doom mapping jam is organized, open to everyone.
These jams typically take the form of a 32-level megawad, using Hardcore Doom as a base (though some additional resources specific to that jam may also be included). Map slots are available to anyone interested, but each mapper can claim only one slot at a time.
Want to try your hand at Hardcore Doom mapping? Just join one of the jams! There are even cash prizes for the best maps!
If you're interested, please join our official Discord.