Best Doom Mods

It’s not often that you see games like Doom receive the type of modding support that id Software’s iconic FPS has in the 30+ years it’s been around.

You can chalk this up to Doom’s dedicated following of players who continue to churn out new mods that completely reshape each game in the series.

In this list, we’ll explore everything the Doom modding scene has to offer and highlight the best Doom mods that breathe new life into the retro-style shooter.

This includes the best Doom weapon mods, Doom WAD mods, and Doom total conversion mods available on PC in 2023.

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Related:Best Teardown ModsBest Alien: Isolation ModsBest Fallout: New Vegas Mods

If you’re fairly new to modifying Doom, a good starting point is MetaDoom, a mod that changes gameplay and incorporates aspects from Doom 2-4 into one compilation of the best features.

Included is every weapon from the extended Doom arsenal along with new iterations of familiar death-dealing tools that you obtain via randomized weapon spawns in each level.

The mod also implements Doom 4’s infamous “glory kill” system with off-hand melee attacks that see you pummeling monsters for supplies.

Another popular Doom 2 mod that comes from a well-respected creator in the Doom community, The Guncaster completely reimagines Doom’s story and gameplay.

In it, you take on the role of Cygnis Flaynithere, a crazed dragon hero-wannabe with gun-slinging abilities that rival that of Doomguy.

Armed with both familiar and fresh weapons as well as magic abilities, players set out to explore a completely new world filled with unique enemies, shopkeeps, and custom spells.

Speaking of magic, this next suggestion is the perfect mod for turning Doom into a fantasy RPG shooter reminiscent of games like Heretic.

Building off of the work of similar mods, Heretical Doom is designed around fast-paced gameplay that will make you feel overpowered despite its unforgiving difficulty.

To this point, it introduces a host of new enemies, weapons, and spells you can cast during battle, including ones that allow you to apply buffs to your character.

Considering how important weapon selection is in Doom, mods like Final Doomer+ consistently rank high among players looking to expand their arsenals.

Designed with Final Doom’s megaWADs in mind, this mod adds 9 new character classes with unique weapon sets tailored for different playstyles.

Some of the weapons you can expect to find include a long-range scoped shotgun, dual-wield machine pistols, and a stasis bow and arrow.

Inspired by retro games, 1980-1990s anime, and early heavy metal music, DemonSteele is another gameplay overhaul mod for Doom that drastically alters the flow of combat.

This results in fast-paced, hack-and-slash brawler combat where players can carry both a sword and gun into battle while dodging incoming projectiles using dashes.

The changes to Doom’s pacing are immediately noticeable as kills are must faster and harder to get but reward the player with new special moves and damage boosts.

Next up is High Noon Drifter, a Doom weapon mod that transports players to the old Wild West with its low-tech arsenal of gimmick-less guns.

This boils down to 11 new Western-inspired guns that replace Doom’s original weapons and introduce new pixel art graphics to match the cowboy theme.

Some are based on standard Doom guns while others are modeled after antiquated, period-specific weaponry, with a few otherworldly options for dishing out ethereal justice.

With a setting best described as “WW1-meets-Warhammer 40K,” Trench Foot is a total conversion Doom 2 mod that drops players in the middle of an apocalyptic holy war.

Taking on the role of Master Templar, a devoted soldier of the “one true faith,” you’ll unleash holy horrors on demonic enemies across atmospheric wartime environments.

The mod has a unique art style that pushes the Doom 2 engine to its limits while maintaining the spirit of the iconic shooter’s combat.

Switching from apocalyptic to post-apocalyptic, Ashes 2063 is another Doom total conversion mod that draws inspiration from 1980s-1990s comics and movies to create its atmosphere.

In it, players are dropped into an irradiated wasteland teeming with crazed raiders, bloodthirsty mutants, and a host of new weapons and locations to discover.

As far as Doom mods go, Ashes 2063 is fully realized to the point of feeling like a standalone game with distinct pacing, better-looking graphics, and its own easy-to-use launcher.

Formerly known as Hell on Earth Starter Pack, Extermination Day is a megaWAD add-on for Brutal Doom that’s compatible with Doom 2.

It remixes levels from the first two games in the series with close attention to detail regarding lighting, enemy placements, textures, and overall layout.

Much like the original Doom, it features a total of 32 levels spread across 3 episodes with unique challenges, secrets, and features such as being able to fight alongside fellow marines.

Another mod that got its start as an add-on for Brutal Doom, Project Brutality has surpassed its predecessor in just about every way.

The main features of this mod are its expanded weapon, enemy, and enemy behavior variety that shake up the way Doom is played.

On top of that, Project Brutality introduces a new weapon upgrade system, difficulty adjustments, and several options for fine-tuning gameplay to match your playstyle.

Without a doubt one of the best creations to come out of the Doom modding scene, Bloom is essentially a crossover between Doom and Blood in one polished FPS package.

Leveraging both games’ protagonists, players assume control of Doomguy or Caleb, with either offering unique approaches that greatly shake up combat.

This mash-up magic extends to Bloom’s weapon, enemy, and level variety as the further you go, the more bizarre guns, monsters, and environments become.

Despite lacking any real narrative connections, Aliens: Eradication TC is a fantastic Doom total conversion mod set in the beloved Aliens universe.

Players have 4 classes to pick from: Merc, Colonist, Combat Synthetic, and Weyland-Yutani Operative, each altering gameplay to feel more like survival horror or traditional Doom.

The atmosphere of this mod is undeniably Aliens and does a great job of capturing the tone of its source material to leave a lasting impression on the player.

Seeing as Wolfenstein never managed to reach the same heights as Doom in regards to modding, fans can take solace in knowing a well-crafted crossover like Blade of Agony exists.

Offering 30 massive levels with multiple objectives to manage, this total conversion mod recreates Wolfenstein’s satisfying Nazi-slaying gameplay in the Doom 2 engine.

This includes classic Wolfenstein-inspired stealth missions as well as fast-paced shootouts in hand-crafted levels with a wide selection of WW2-era weaponry.

Jenesis is another Doom megaWAD add-on that introduces a set of 32 new levels designed to capture the feeling of running and gunning through id Software’s games.

The mod also stands out for updating Doom’s status bar with crisp-looking graphics as well as tasking players with defeating a new final boss.

There are various other twists and turns to encounter that make this mod an absolute must-play for Doom fans who love picking apart levels to find secrets and bonus supplies.

To things up, we’re recommending one of the most popular Doom total conversion mods for turning the beloved shooter into a full-fledged horror experience with surprisingly impressive graphics.

In Total Chaos, you play as a scavenger with limited resources fighting for survival in an abandoned mining colony overrun with grotesque monsters.

With guns in short supply, melee weapons are your bread and butter, requiring you to manage stamina as you craft and consume items to obtain buffs and make every hit count.