The recently released "Doom: The Dark Ages" has ignited a wave of player dissatisfaction and pre-order cancellations after it was revealed that its physical discs contain only minimal data.
Many fans publicly announced their pre-order cancellations on social media, lambasting publisher Bethesda Softworks for adopting an "empty disc" release strategy. This approach forces players to download a massive 85GB of game content, effectively preventing those with slower internet connections from playing the game immediately upon purchase.
According to reports from Pure Xbox, players discovered that both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X disc versions contain only a few megabytes of data, with no main game content included. This means that regardless of the platform, players must download an additional 85GB to access and play the full game.
The popular social media account Does it play? (@DoesItPlay1) was among the first to expose this issue, quickly sparking widespread debate among netizens. Many players commented that Bethesda Softworks' decision was a betrayal of those who support physical game releases and undermined the core principles of game collecting and preservation.
Some players directly stated that they do not purchase physical discs just to download the entire game. Others expressed concern that this trend would make game preservation increasingly difficult in the future, posing a significant threat to collectors.
One user suggested that the backlash against game key cards, recently seen with Nintendo, was now extending to "key discs," indicating a potential shift in the industry. While unsure if this trend would lead to significant change, they noted that such practices were receiving more criticism than in the past. 
Despite the controversy, "Doom: The Dark Ages" has still garnered positive critical reception, with many players praising its gameplay and combat design.
Whether Bethesda Softworks will respond to the physical disc controversy remains to be seen. The impact of this wave of pre-order cancellations on the game's sales figures will be a key point of observation.