How to Fix Doom: The Dark Ages Not Launching (Quick Fix)

Are you trying to launch Doom: The Dark Ages, and while the game audio plays in the background, the game window just won’t show up? You’re not alone — this is a common issue affecting some players.

Luckily, this issue is quite easy to fix by applying a custom launch command in Steam. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through a quick fix that will get your game running again, even if you’re currently stuck hearing sound without seeing any video.

🧠 What’s the Issue?

Many users have reported that:

The game doesn’t launch properly.
You may hear audio in the background.
But no game window appears, and nothing happens on screen.

This is usually a display issue, where the game is trying to run on unsupported resolution settings or fails to switch properly into full screen.

✅ The Quick Fix: Add Custom Launch Options

The solution is to force the game to open in a windowed mode with a specific resolution. This can be done using Steam Launch Options.

🔧 Follow These Steps:

Open Steam
- Launch your Steam client and go to your Library.
Find Doom: The Dark Ages
- In your game library, locate Doom: The Dark Ages.
Right-click the Game and Select “Properties”
- A new settings window will open for this game.
Go to the “General” Tab
- Under the “Launch Options” section, you’ll see a text box labeled:
  “Launch Options”
Paste the Following Command:
```
+com_skipIntroVideo 1 +r_mode -1 +r_customWidth 1280 +r_customHeight 720 +r_fullscreen 0
```
🧾 What This Command Does:
- +com_skipIntroVideo 1 — Skips the intro cinematic (which can cause crashing or freezing).
- +r_mode -1 — Enables custom resolution mode.
- +r_customWidth 1280 and +r_customHeight 720 — Sets the resolution to 1280×720.
- +r_fullscreen 0 — Forces the game to launch in windowed mode.
Close the Properties Window
- Simply close the window. The command will be saved automatically.
Launch the Game
- Run the game again from your Steam Library.

✅ What Should Happen Now

The game should launch normally in a windowed mode at 1280×720 resolution.
Once it loads successfully, you can go into the game settings and adjust the resolution and display mode to your liking.
After confirming it works, you can optionally remove the launch options from Steam to let the game launch normally again.

💡 Optional Step: Remove the Launch Command Later

After your game starts working:

Go back to Steam > Library > Doom: The Dark Ages > Properties
Delete the launch option script
Close the window and launch the game normally

This helps ensure you return to your preferred graphics settings later on.

📝 Final Thoughts

This simple launch command fix is one of the most effective solutions for resolving the Doom: The Dark Ages not launching issue, especially if:

You hear game audio but don’t see the window
You recently updated the game or drivers
The game previously worked, but now doesn’t

Always make sure your graphics drivers are up-to-date as well. Sometimes, outdated or unstable drivers can also cause display issues.

🙋 Was This Guide Helpful?

If this tutorial helped you launch Doom: The Dark Ages, consider sharing it with fellow gamers or leaving a comment below. Also, don’t forget to like or follow if you’re reading this on a platform that supports engagement — it helps others find working solutions.

📥 Copy-and-Paste Launch Option (For Quick Access):

+com_skipIntroVideo 1 +r_mode -1 +r_customWidth 1280 +r_customHeight 720 +r_fullscreen 0