Custom Map and Game Mode Creator Announced for Doom at E3 2015

Developer id Software has announced a new mode for its upcoming Doom title that leverages the creativity of its player base to deliver "an endless stream of content."

The mode, called Snapmap, was revealed during Bethesda's E3 press conference, where id Software's new Doom was shown at length.

Following a meaty single-player demo, executive producer Marty Stratton said Snapmap would mean Doom players would "never run out of fun or imaginative gameplay."

The mode is designed to be easy-to-use but also offer "uncompromising depth." In action, the mode looked very reminiscent of Halo's forge mode, allowing users to drop in objects in new creations or modify existing ones.

Snapmap will also allow users to create or edit game logic, offering scope for entirely new gameplay modes. During the demo, Stratton showcased a Horde Mode, where players must fight of waves of demons.

With a single button press, Doom players will be able to enjoy and share content "instantly with friends around the world."

"For more than 20 years the Doom community has been the most active and creative," said Stratton, "with doom Snapmap we're putting that creativity at the heart of Doom."

Stratton also said that Bethesda and id Software want to bring together the Doom community regardless of what platform a person plays on. The Snapmap demo showed button configurations for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Although it was not confirmed, this seemingly suggest Snapmap users will be contributing to a single content pool that can be enjoyed by everyone.

From the little we saw, it certainly seems like id Software is taking a page from Bungie's book and drawing inspiration from Forge mode. Given the success of Halo's Forge Mode, and the fact that creations from this mode contributed significantly to the longevity of Halo 3, this is a smart decision.

Bethesda also announced Bethesda.net, a new online platform that is powering Snapmap and "will be at the heart of [all Bethesda games] going forward. During the announcement, game logos for Battlecry and The Evil Within were shown on screen.

In addition to powering the online aspects of its games, Bethesda.net will also be used for forums, exclusive articles, and unique features that will create "one seamless experience."

Bethesda also confirmed the Doom release date will be in spring 2016 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Doom resurfaced in February 2014, with publisher Bethesda revealing that access to the Doom beta would be given to those that pre-order Wolfenstein: The New Order. Although a version of Doom 4 existed, that edition was scrapped and the project was rebooted.

"An earlier version of Doom 4 did not exhibit the quality and excitement that id and Bethesda intend to deliver and that Doom fans worldwide expect," said Bethesda's Pete Hines said in February last year.

"As a result, id refocused its efforts on a new version of Doom 4 that promises to meet the very high expectations everyone has for this game and this franchise. When we're ready to talk about the Doom 4 id is making, we will let folks know."

For more on what went down at Bethesda's press conference, check out our round-up.