As you know, Bethesda showcased the gameplay of DOOM Eternal last Friday. While we did see much of its gameplay, we also learned much more about its content, story, and development. One thing we learned was the reason why the developers decided to call it DOOM Eternal instead of DOOM 2 like everyone was expecting.
Executive producer Marty Stratton and creative director Hugo Martin gave this information during an interview they had with IGN at QuakeCon 2018. Stratton revealed that the title of DOOM Eternal’s prequel had caused many problems. There was already the original DOOM, so naming the reboot after the same title resulted in fans calling it DOOM 2016.
On the other hand, Hugo Martin stated that the DOOM 2016 title was also challenging to search for on the internet. If they decided to name DOOM Eternal after DOOM 2, it would cause many problems like the prequel did. Therefore, they sat down and thought of another name that would also show their love for the game itself.
Another interesting fact about the choice of the title was that Dark Knight influenced the idea that gave the game its final title. Martin stated that Christopher Nolan “did it better.” He did not just put a number next to every Dark Knight title depending on the order of the films. Each film had a unique title that was also linking it to the other movies. DOOM Eternal is also linked to the previous DOOM game of 2016, so they thought that it was the same situation.
Martin also added that the final title DOOM Eternal is not confusing. It is a title that is unique inside the franchise. If they had chosen titles such as Doom 2 or Doom: Hell on Earth, it would have resulted in total confusion since there is a previous Doom II: Hell on Earth title. In my opinion, the choice of the title resembles the content and the story of the upcoming DOOM sequel in the best way possible.