Doom Eternal’s Invasion Mode Has Been Canceled, Will Be Replaced With Horde Mode

Doom Eternal developer Id Software has announced that its planned free Invasion Mode update for the game has been canceled and will be replaced with a single-player horde mode. Invasion Mode was originally envisioned as a Dark Souls-inspired feature, which would allow players to drop into the campaign of other players and hunt them down as a demon.

Citing unforeseen consequences from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the studio shifting to a remote work environment, Id Software has instead focused its efforts on the new horde mode and an upcoming rework of the multiplayer Battlemode.

“With these factors in mind, we have decided to redirect our focus from Invasion Mode to creating a totally new single-player horde mode,” Id Software explained in a blog post. “We’re confident this horde mode will offer you more of the diversity and challenge you’re looking for in the game. In addition, the team continues to work on a refresh of Battlemode that includes a more competitive, rank-based structure, a number of gameplay and balance updates and another new map.”

Id said that it expects to share more information at QuakeCon in August on what’s next for the game. Doom Eternal has seen plenty of activity since it launched last year in March, with the game bringing the current saga of the Doomslayer to an end in the two-part Ancient Gods expansion.

With Bethesda having joined the Microsoft family, Doom Eternal was added to the Xbox Game Pass service as well and Id Software mentioned earlier this year that it still had plenty of stories to tell in that universe. In more recent news, the game’s next-generation patch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC was released this week, adding enhanced performance and ray tracing features to the game.