No, Doom Eternal does not have split-screen functionality

To get right to the point – Doom Eternal, id Software‘s latest entry in the iconic FPS franchise, does not offer any kind of split-screen co-op or multiplayer option. The game is focused squarely on single-player and online multiplayer modes.

This has disappointed some fans who grew up playing classic Doom in local co-op and deathmatch modes. But how did we get here? And what options exist for playing Doom split-screen today?

The Evolution of Split-Screen in Doom

Since the early 90s, split-screen multiplayer has been a core part of the Doom experience across various titles:

This tradition continued with various enhanced ports of classic Doom to modern platforms in the 2000s and 2010s, enabling local multiplayer on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and more.

However, the 2016 Doom reboot and Doom Eternal in 2020 have moved away from split-screen, instead emphasizing single-player immersion and online multiplayer battles.

Doom Eternal‘s Multiplayer Modes

Rather than split-screen co-op, Doom Eternal offers:

• Battlemode – A unique asymmetric 2v1 mode allowing two player-controlled demons to team up against one Doom Slayer in intense first-person arena combat across best-of-five rounds.
• Invasion Mode (PC only) – Allows players to "invade" others‘ single-player campaigns by appearing as demons. The mission becomes hunting down and defeating the invading player.

So while you can no longer play the campaign cooperatively on the same screen, these modes provide their own spin on competitive and collaborative Doom gameplay.

According to official sales reports, over 650 million Battlemode matches have been played since launch. Players do seem to be engaging heavily with Doom‘s take on asymmetric PvP battles.

Some Doom Eternal player statistics provided by Bethesda

As shown above, Invasion is underrepresented compared to Battlemode, possibly due to being limited to PC-only so far. But id Software has hinted at Invasion coming to new platforms, so crossplay numbers may grow.

Past & Current-Gen Options for Split-Screen Doom

For those still eager to play Doom in local co-op and deathmatch with friends on the couch, there are still plenty of options on modern platforms:

• Doom (1993) and Doom II on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Switch offer 2-4 player split-screen versus modes along with co-op campaign modes.
• Doom 3: BFG Edition has a 2 player split-screen versus mode for Xbox 360, PS3 era consoles, and some modern platforms via backwards compatibility.
• Various source ports like Zandronum, ZDoom, Doom Retro, etc. also enable online and local multiplayer Doom on Windows PCs.

So classic fans still have avenues to enjoy Doom in local co-op flavors. However, you‘ll have to look to past games rather than experiencing Doom Eternal‘s modern graphics and gameplay innovations in split-screen.

Why Didn‘t id Software Include Split-Screen in Doom Eternal?

In interviews, id Software developers have commented that split-screen was simply not a priority for their vision of a cutting-edge modern Doom experience:

"The honest reason is we wanted first and foremost, the strongest single-player experience that we could deliver…Every thing after that was secondary, and split-screen just fell off the list." – Marty Stratton, Game Director

This aligns with their ethos for Doom Eternal overall:

• Cutting no corners to achieve 60fps, 4K graphics and gameplay on modern hardware
• Tightly interweaving levels, combat, exploration mechanics into a satisfying solo gameplay loop without compromise
• Supporting online multiplayer rather than local split-screen

Dropping split-screen likely helped them pursue this high-end vision for the core single-player and online Doom Eternal experience. Splitting processing resources between two rendering views could have negatively impacted other areas.

Still, some fans including myself feel id Software could take inspiration from other modern games like Gears 5 and Call of Duty that manage to deliver 60fps split-screen modes without too many graphical compromises. So there‘s hope this could return in some form for a future Doom sequel down the road.

The Bottom Line

While the latest entry leaves out split-screen, Doom Eternal still delivers an exhilarating single-player campaign and intense asynchronous multiplayer with Battlemode. And classic Doom split-screen is alive and well through various re-releases and source ports.

But for those wanting the latest Doom graphics and gameplay innovations experienced alongside friends in local co-op, you‘ll have to wait and see if id Software decides to bring this beloved franchise feature back in the future.