Doom II: Hell on Earth

This page is for the original release. For the version included in the BFG Edition, see Doom 3: BFG Edition. For the 2020 Unity re-release, see Doom II Enhanced.

Doom II: Hell on Earth

Developers
	id Software
Mac OS (Classic)	Lion Entertainment Inc.
Publishers
	GT Interactive
Engines
	id Tech 1
Release dates
DOS	October 10, 1994
Windows	1995
Mac OS (Classic)	1995
Linux	1995
Windows 3.x	February 3, 2006
Windows (DOSBox)	August 3, 2007
macOS (OS X)	Source ports only
Reception
Metacritic	83
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase
Microtransactions	None
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Perspectives	First-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Action, Shooter
Themes	Horror, Sci-fi
Series	Doom

⤏ Go to series page
Doom (1993)	1993
Doom II: Hell on Earth	1994
Final Doom	1996
DRL (unofficial game)	2002
Doom 3	2004
Doom 64 EX (unofficial port)	2008
Doom 3: BFG Edition	2012
Doom (2016)	2016
Doom VFR	2017
Doom I Enhanced	2020
Doom II Enhanced	2020
Doom Eternal	2020
Doom 64	2020

Doom II: Hell on Earth is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person action and shooter game in the Doom series.

The engine was made open source in 1997.

General information

Engine source code

Doom Wiki

Doomworld — A major fansite for the series

ZDoom forums — ZDoom ports official forums, showcasing new mods

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series

GOG.com Support Page

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
GamersGate
GOG.com		Listing title is "Doom II". Also includes Final Doom, Master Levels for Doom II, and Doom II Enhanced. Pre-packaged with DOSBox v0.74.2.1 (included in download).
Green Man Gaming
Humble Store
Steam		Listing title is "Doom II". Includes Master Levels for Doom II and Final Doom. Pre-packaged with DOSBox v0.72 (included in download). Comes bundled with Doom II Enhanced.
Bethesda.net (unavailable)		Pre-packaged with DOSBox v0.72 (included in download). Also includes Doom II Enhanced.

Not available for sale on Humble in Germany.

Doom II: Hell on Earth is also available as part of Doom 3: BFG Edition. This version includes GOG.com and Steam achievements.

The MS-DOS version of Doom II: Hell on Earth included with Doom II Enhanced from Bethesda.net comes with two versions of the IWAD, one as a separate download, and the other is included with the re-release in the base folder. The IWAD included with Doom II Enhanced's installation is the unmodified version that is also found in the Steam release. The separate downloadable version has changes similar to Doom 3: BFG Edition, and may not be compatible with certain source ports.

The Bethesda.net release is no longer available as the Bethesda.net Launcher has been retired. Users who owned games in their Bethesda.net Library are able to transfer their games to their Steam account for free, even now after the launcher has been officially retired.

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Master Levels for Doom II	An expansion pack of 20 WADs from various authors contracted by id Software.
Hell To Pay	Unofficial commercial expansion developed by Wraith Corporation and published by WizardWorks. Not available digitally.
Perdition's Gate	Unofficial commercial expansion developed by Wraith Corporation and published by WizardWorks. Re-released for free by the author on his personal website.

Essential improvements

Patches

All patches for the retail versions of Doom II: Hell on Earth (as well as Doom and Final Doom) can be found at doomwiki.org, the latest patch 1.9 is also available at soggi.org.

Disable vertical mouse movement (DOS)

Game forces vertical mouse movement (forward and backward movement via mouse).

Automating novert in DOSBox
novert is a program that disables vertical mouse input. Download novert and extract novert.com in <path-to-game> alongside DOOM2.EXE. Edit doom2.conf and doom2m.conf with a text editor, and in the [Autoexec] section, add novert.com before the line calling the game's executable. Save the changes in the *.conf files and close.

Source ports

Since the release of the engine's source code, various source ports have been released. See the link above for details and recommendations.

Enhancement mods

DOS and all source ports

• Minor Sprite Fixing Project - Corrects sprite offsets and other graphical errors. Compatible with both original DOS release and source ports.
• Perkristian hi-res Doom sound pack - The hi-res sound pack contains remastered versions of the Doom sound effects which have been remade at higher sampling rates (Doom's original sound effects were sampled at 11025 Hz, which is considered fairly low-quality nowadays).
• Doom Sound Bulb - An update to Perkristian's hi-res Doom sound pack. All 107 sound effects are remade into 16-bit sounds that are truer to their original sources. Includes a legacy 8-bit version for use with vanilla Doom executables and source ports, and an extra sounds pack for ZDoom-based source ports.

ZDoom-based source ports

• Master Levels Menu Interface - An in-game menu that serves to replace the old DOS program that would launch a chosen WAD of the Master Level for Doom II expansion. This mod allows the ability to play them in one sitting without restarting the game or loading each individual WAD file.
• WadSmoosh - Combines all the official classic Doom IWADs (Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth, Master Levels for Doom II, and Final Doom) the user can provide, as well as the No Rest for the Living WAD from Doom 3: BFG Edition and the SIGIL WAD released for Doom's 25th anniversary, into a single PK3 IWAD with each game selectable as episodes. The bonus secret levels from the Xbox port of Doom 3 (which can be downloaded from here) and the widescreen assets from the 2020 Unity re-releases can also be integrated.
• WidePix - A collection of 2D widescreen replacement graphics that faithfully extends the original 4:3 assets up to widescreen resolutions. These differ from the unrelated widescreen graphics featured in the 2020 Unity ports as they are created from the ground up, support up to 21:9 resolutions, and feature an animated intermission screen for Doom's Inferno episode. Included with GZDoom as of v4.5.0. Can be used with WadSmoosh v1.3 and does not require implementing the widescreen assets from the 2020 Unity ports. Also supports Heretic, Hexen, Strife, Chex Quest 3, Hacx, and Harmony as of v1.3. For widescreen assets for other PWADs, see this Doomworld thread.
• GZSprFix - A repacked version of Minor Sprite Fixing Project for GZDoom, combining both mods into one while using GZDoom's folder filter feature to load the relevant fixes to the respective IWADs and converting the DeHackEd patches into ZScript.
• Roland SC-55 music packs - Soundtrack for Doom II recorded on an authentic SC-55, the midi player for which the soundtrack was mixed on. Choose either OGG or FLAC; MP3 does not support proper looping.
• Smooth Doom - Smooth Doom is a spriting project/general enhancement that adds newly drawn frames to all of DOOM's weapons and actors.
• Cblood - Changes the blood color of monsters to match their sprite counterparts (e.g. Cacodeamon now has blue blood) without replacing actors.
• RetroShader - A shader mod for GZDoom that replicates the low-resolution appearance and color depth of vanilla Doom without lowering its resolution or rendering scale.
• Thematically Improved Mouse Cursors - Adds themed cursors for Doom, Strife, Heretic, Hexen and Chex Quest.

Any source port

• Widescreen Status Bar - Designed for compatible source ports that support widescreen resolutions. In addition to removing the brick patterns that appear on the side of the bar when upscaling it, it also helps prevent graphical glitches that sometimes occurs from the upscaling process. Some source ports may require adjusting the status bar upscaling size manually in their respective options menu to retain the intended aspect-ratio.
• SC-55 Soundfont - Special sound bank, that emulates Roland SC-55 (sound module, that was used by Bobby Prince to compose Doom soundtrack) to provide the most accurate music quality.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
DOS	<path-to-game>\DOOM2
Windows	<path-to-game>\Doom II for Windows 95\
Mac OS (Classic)
Steam	<path-to-game>\base\*.conf <path-to-game>\base\*.CFG
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2300/pfx/

It's unknown whether this game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux. Please fill in this information.

Save game data location

System	Location
DOS	<path-to-game>\DOOM2
Windows	<path-to-game>\Doom II for Windows 95\ %USERPROFILE%\Saved Games\GZDoom\doom.id.doom2.commercial\[GZDoom source port only]
Mac OS (Classic)
Steam	<path-to-game>\base\*.DSG
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2300/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video

In-game options menu.

Resolution options (Doom95)

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution			See Source ports.
Multi-monitor			Supported by GZDoom. See Source ports.
Ultra-widescreen			Supported by GZDoom. See Source ports.
4K Ultra HD			Supported by GZDoom. See Source ports.
Field of view (FOV)		See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed		Toggle with Alt+↵ Enter in DOSBox or its source ports, if supported.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		See Borderless fullscreen windowed.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		See Source ports.
Anti-aliasing (AA)		See Source ports.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		See Source ports.
60 FPS		Capped at 35 FPS. For 60+ FPS, see Source ports.
120+ FPS		See Source ports.
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Field of view (FOV)

Use the console (source ports only)
For ZDoom-based ports and Odamex: enter fov <1-179>. For Legacy Doom: enter gr_fov <1-179> For Doom Retro: enter r_fov <45-135>

Borderless fullscreen windowed

PrBoom+: Run PrBoom+ in windowed mode at the display's native resolution

GZDoom: Perform the following for either Modern or Vintage branches (v3.5.0 or newer; Windows only)

Modern branch: No longer supported natively as of v3.8.3. See this thread for details. Use Special K version 21.2.15.0 via .dll injection, not global injection as newer versions will crash GZDoom. Rename SpecialK32.dll (32-bit) or Specialk64.dll (64-bit) depending on the GZDoom version to OpenGL32.dll and place this file to where GZDoom is installed in the computer. Vintage branch: Natively supported; set Fullscreen to OFF and Borderless Windowed Mode to ON from the Video Mode options.

Doom Retro: Enable borderless fullscreen in configuration file
Open the *.cfg file(s) where the Doom Retro folder is located with a text editor. Find the variable vid_borderlesswindow and set it on, then find vid_screenresolution and set it to desktop. Save the changes. Doom Retro now should run in borderless fullscreen windowed.

Input

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration		See Source ports.
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus		See Source ports.
Mouse Y-axis inversion		See Source ports.
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support		Supported by ZDoom and its derivatives as well as Doom Retro and Woof. See Source ports.
Controller remapping		Limited to only remapping Fire, Use, Sprint, and Strafe in the DOS version. Some source ports feature broader controller remapping options. See Source ports.
Controller sensitivity		Some source ports have adjustable analog stick sensitivity settings. ZDoom and its derivatives also support XInput trigger sensitivity settings. See Source ports.
Controller Y-axis inversion		See Source ports.

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers		ZDoom-based source ports and Doom Retro have XInput support.
Xbox button prompts		Use a ZDoom-based source port or Doom Retro.
Impulse Trigger vibration

PlayStation controllers		Supported by ZDoom and its derivatives as well as Doom Retro and Woof.
PlayStation button prompts		GZDoom uses generic controller prompts. Doom Retro and Woof uses Xbox prompts on DualShock 4.
Light bar support		Red on Doom Retro. Blue on Woof.
Adaptive trigger support
DualSense haptic feedback support
Connection modes	Wired

Tracked motion controllers		Use Classic Doom VR
Button/gesture prompts

Generic/other controllers		Imagineer PC Pad.
Button prompts

Additional information
Button prompts		ZDoom and Doom Retro reference XInput controllers with Xbox notations.
Controller hotplugging		Supported by ZDoom and Doom Retro. See Source ports.
Haptic feedback		Doom Retro features vibration for XInput controllers.
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M		ZDoom-based source ports and Doom Retro allows simultaneous inputs between controller or keyboard and mouse.

• 

  Keyboard configuration (Doom95)

• 

  Mouse configuration (Doom95)

• 

  Joystick configuration (Doom95)

Audio

Audio configuration (Doom95)

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Sound effects, Music
Surround sound		See Source ports.
Subtitles		No spoken dialogue.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost		See Source ports.
EAX support		Interactive Around-Sound can be hacked on WinDoom port
Royalty free audio
General MIDI audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
French				The official French localization can be found here. Alternate link.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
Local play		Use Doom Legacy.
LAN play		4	Co-op, Versus
Online play		4	Co-op, Versus

Zandronum is recommended for online play as it adds modern networking support and simplifies the process of finding games.

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated		Provided by Zandronum and Odamex. See Source ports.
Self-hosting
Direct IP		See Source ports.

VR support

Headsets	State	Notes
SteamVR		Use ViveDoom
Oculus VR (LibOVR)		Use ViveDoom or Doomsday.
Windows Mixed Reality		This game might be playable with the Revive Compatibility Layer, or Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR.

Devices
Tracked motion controllers		Use Classic Doom VR See Input for details.
Traditional controller		See Input for details.
Keyboard/Mouse

Play area
Seated
Standing
Room-scale

Issues fixed

Game does not run in DOSBox (Steam)

Disable double-buffering in DOSBox
Go to <path-to-game>\base. Edit doom2.conf and doom2m.conf with a text editor. Under the section [sdl], look for the line fulldouble=true and set it to false. Saves and close both files.

Doom95 doesn't start on Windows 7

Use d95patch

Install Doom95 from the CD-ROM or shareware versions of Doom. Download d95patch here. Extract the contents of d95patch.zip to <path-to-game>, replacing all files in the process. Run Doom95.exe, then click the Advanced Options button, go to Screen Resolution tab and set the Screen Size to 320x200 and display mode to Fullscreen, then click OK to save the changes. This is to avoid distorting the image (aspect-ratio correction is handled through dgVoodoo 2) and bugs with the automap on resolutions higher than 320x240. Notes This patch includes dgVoodoo 2 and the Doom95 Mouse Patch.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D		See Source ports.
DirectDraw	2	Doom 95 only.
OpenGL	2.0, 3.3	Supported by GZDoom, Zandronum, and Doom Retro. See Source ports.
Software renderer
Vulkan		See Source ports.
DOS video modes	VGA

Executable	PPC	16-bit	32-bit	64-bit	ARM	Notes
Windows						See Source ports for 64-bit. 16-bit applies to beta builds of WinDoom that were cancelled in mid-1995, but which were since found.
macOS (OS X)						See Source ports.
Linux						See Source ports.
Mac OS (Classic)

Modifications

DOOM CE

A successor to the inactive PlayStation Doom Total Conversion for Doom II that converts it into the PlayStation version of Doom and Final Doom, as well as patching Doom 64's IWAD to be compatible with GZDoom. DOOM CE uses GZDoom as a base for its modernized features, adopts code from the GEC Master Edition (DZDoom) project, and incorporates various customizable features and add-ons. Requires Doom II to play PlayStation Doom CE and Final Doom CE as of v2.0.5 and the official 2020 port of Doom 64 to play Doom 64 CE as of v2.0.4.

System requirements

DOS

Windows 3.x

Windows

Mac OS (Classic)

macOS (OS X)

Linux

DOS
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	MS-DOS 5.0
Processor (CPU)	Intel 386	Intel 486
System memory (RAM)	4 MB	8 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	100 MB
Video card (GPU)	VGA graphics card