First Doom 3 expansion announced

The first official expansion pack for Doom 3 will be co-developed by Nerve Software and id Software and will herald the return of the double-barrelled shotgun, publisher Activision announced this afternoon. Say Hell-o to Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil.

Few details are available about the expansion - we don't even known when it will ship, although we could hazard a guess that it'll be "when it's done" - other than the developer and a few scraps about the story: apparently you hold in your hands a timeless and evil artefact that holds the powers of Hell, and the demons want it back.

The expansion will consist of new locations, characters and weapons, including the classic boomstick arguably made famous in the first-person shooter genre by id Software's efforts with Doom II. It will also feature multiplayer support for up to eight players, rather than Doom 3's four, on a selection of new maps.

"Doom 3 defines first-person cinematic action," id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead modestly observes, "and the expansion pack continues right where we left off - with a terrifying atmosphere, a new story and one of the most classic weapons ever, the double-barrelled shotgun."

The expansion "delivers players deeper into the heart of the UAC to uncover new secrets and technology used to destroy the demon force that's Hell-bent on destroying you," he added.

Although the game is being co-developed by Nerve and id, the likelihood is that Nerve will handle most of the grunt work; assuming the collaboration is in keeping with the trend set by past id Software FPS expansions and sequels. Indeed, Nerve's previous work includes Return To Castle Wolfenstein: Tide of War for Xbox, an online-enabled reworking of an id property originally exported and re-imagined on the PC by Gray Matter Studios.