The cancelled Doom 4 project keeps giving up its secrets. New screenshots surfaced on December 14, 2025, revealing hell dimension environments from the scrapped game that id Software abandoned back in 2013. These images show that despite being nicknamed “Call of Doom” for its Earth-based, military-focused gameplay, the cancelled version was always meant to include trips to actual Hell.
The leaked screenshots were shared by X user Crispies, showing what appears to be New York’s environments twisted into nightmarish hellscapes. This confirms that while the game focused heavily on demons invading Earth, players would have eventually traveled to the source of the invasion. The visuals are notably darker and more disturbing than what eventually appeared in Doom 2016, suggesting a different artistic direction altogether.
Wayne Barlowe’s Influence on Hell’s Design
Community members immediately noticed the art style resembles work by Wayne Barlowe, the legendary concept artist known for his deeply unsettling depictions of Hell. Barlowe actually did create concept art for this version of Doom 4, including sketches of demons like the Pinky that have been shared on his Instagram over the years. His signature style of organic, anatomically disturbing demon designs appears throughout these leaked environments.
The screenshots show environments where familiar architecture becomes warped and merged with demonic structures. This aligns with what sources told Kotaku back in 2013 about the cancelled game’s vision. One insider described concept art showing “different parts of the earth being taken over, being warped and twisted into a hellish reimagining.” These new hell dimension screenshots suggest that transformation would have extended into fully realized demonic realms.
What We Know About Cancelled Doom 4
Doom 4 spent eight years in development hell before being completely scrapped and rebuilt as Doom 2016. The original version, which ran from around 2007 to 2013, took a radically different approach from the final game. Instead of playing as the unstoppable Doom Slayer, players would have been an average person joining the Resistance to fight demons invading Earth. The game emphasized story, characters, and cinematic set pieces over the pure demon-slaying action that defined the series.
Leaked concept trailers and screenshots from 2012 showed urban warfare in destroyed cities with military elements heavily featured. The game included regenerating health like Call of Duty, which earned it the mocking “Call of Doom” nickname from fans. But these new hell dimension screenshots prove the game wasn’t abandoning Doom’s roots entirely. Hell was always meant to be part of the experience, just approached differently than previous games.
The Hellscar and Other Enemies
Beyond environments, recent leaks have also revealed enemy designs from this cancelled version. Screenshots show creatures called “Hellscars” along with zombie-like corpse enemies that look far more grotesque than typical Doom monsters. Wayne Barlowe’s concept art revealed designs for demons including a quadruped Pinky and various possessed humans with disturbing anatomical transformations.
Some of these enemy concepts actually survived into Doom 2016. Hugo Martin, game director for Doom Eternal, confirmed during a livestream that the Hell Knight and Imp designs originated in the cancelled Doom 4 project. The team salvaged worthwhile ideas and enemy designs when rebuilding the game from scratch, though the overall tone and gameplay changed dramatically.
Why Doom 4 Got Cancelled
By 2013, id Software and parent company ZeniMax realized Doom 4 wasn’t working. Creative director Kevin Cloud admitted the project “wasn’t really capturing what we felt was going to be a strong Doom, and what the fans would want.” The heavily scripted, story-focused approach felt wrong for a series built on fast-paced demon slaughter. Internal morale was low after the disappointing reception to Rage, and sources described Doom 4 development as a “mess.”
According to one story, John Carmack stood up in a team meeting and declared “Doom means two things: demons and shotguns.” That philosophy became the foundation for rebooting the project into what became Doom 2016. The team stripped away the complex narrative, removed regenerating health, and focused on creating the most satisfying demon-killing experience possible. The result was one of the greatest FPS reboots ever made, but these leaked screenshots show we lost something genuinely interesting along the way.
The Ongoing Leak
These hell dimension screenshots are just the latest in a series of cancelled Doom 4 materials surfacing online. Clean gameplay footage appeared in 2022 via documentary channel Noclip, showing the slow-paced, scripted combat that ultimately doomed the project. Various concept art pieces have leaked over the years, building a picture of an ambitious but flawed vision.
The timing of these new leaks is interesting given that Doom: The Dark Ages releases in 2025. That game features a prequel story showing the Doom Slayer’s origins, which is ironic considering the cancelled Doom 4 also attempted a more story-driven approach. The difference is that The Dark Ages builds on the successful formula of Doom 2016 and Eternal rather than trying to reinvent the series from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Doom 4 and why was it cancelled?
Doom 4 was a version of the Doom reboot in development from 2007 to 2013. It featured story-heavy, Call of Duty-style gameplay set during a demon invasion of Earth. It was cancelled because id Software felt it didn’t capture what made Doom special, and was completely restarted as what became Doom 2016.
Was the cancelled Doom 4 going to include Hell?
Yes, newly leaked screenshots confirm hell dimension environments were in development. While the game focused on Earth being invaded, players would have traveled to Hell itself at some point in the campaign.
Who created the concept art for cancelled Doom 4?
Wayne Barlowe, the legendary concept artist known for his disturbing depictions of Hell, created demon and environment designs for the project. His influence is visible in the dark, organic art style of the leaked materials.
Can you play the cancelled Doom 4 anywhere?
No, the game was never released and remains unplayable outside of id Software. Only leaked screenshots, concept art, and brief gameplay clips exist showing what the game looked like during development.
Did any ideas from cancelled Doom 4 make it into Doom 2016?
Yes, several enemy designs including the Hell Knight and Imp originated in the cancelled project. Some environmental concepts and the idea of Glory Kills also evolved from work done on the original Doom 4.
Why do people call it “Call of Doom”?
The nickname came from leaked footage showing Call of Duty-style gameplay including regenerating health, scripted sequences, and a heavy focus on military themes. Fans felt it looked more like a Call of Duty clone than a true Doom game.
Where are these leaks coming from?
The source remains unclear, but materials have been surfacing steadily since 2012. Some come from former developers’ portfolios, while others appear to be leaked from internal archives. Documentary channels like Noclip have also shared preserved footage for game history purposes.
Conclusion
These newly leaked hell dimension screenshots offer a fascinating glimpse at what could have been. The cancelled Doom 4 represents a road not taken, a darker and more story-driven vision that might have been interesting but ultimately wasn’t what fans wanted. While Doom 2016’s approach proved more successful, there’s something compelling about seeing Wayne Barlowe’s nightmarish hell environments and twisted demon designs that never made it into the final game. As more materials continue leaking, we’re building a complete picture of one of gaming’s most infamous development disasters and the strange, ambitious game that almost was. Whether it would have been good or bad, we’ll never truly know, but the art direction alone suggests it would have been memorably brutal.