--- title: "The Marine Corps used ‘Doom II’ to train Marines to work together" description: "The United States Marine Corps got its own mod of \"Doom II\" before the game was released to the public. It was an instant hit." date: "2022-08-25" modified: "2026-02-08" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/the-marine-corps-used-doom-ii-to-train-marines-to-work-together-on-missions/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "Gaming" - "History" - "Marine Corps" tags: - "Marine Corps" - "Video Games" --- # The Marine Corps used ‘Doom II’ to train Marines to work together ![marine doom 2 gameplay ID]() *(Microsoft/ID Software)* It’s a well-known fact that the streets of Heaven are guarded by United States Marines, but it's less well-known that the Marine Corps went on the offensive against the legions of Hell. Gaming and the military have gone hand in hand since before gaming reached the general public. Gen. George S. Patton conducted a series of wargames in Louisiana before World War II to test the American military’s training, logistics, and other wartime doctrines. The [old MILES gear training]() was a hardcore version of laser tag. The U.S. Army even created its own video game, "America’s Army," as a recruiting tool. **Also Read: [6 military video games used to train troops on the battlefield]()** Somewhere between the development of MILES gear and "America’s Army," the U.S. military saw a way to use video games and young troops' interest in playing them to further its recruitment and training. The result was “Marine Doom.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NZ2IBzDBk0 In the game “Doom II,” humans are trying to escape the earth, but demons from hell have constructed a portal that allows them to come to Earth and take lives. The demons' first target is the sole spaceport from where the humans are going to escape. The "Doomguy," a Marine, has to blast all the demons back to Hell, then enter Hell itself to kill the chief demon and close the portal. If anyone could do it, it would be the Marines, so why not send them in? "Doom" remains one of the most popular games ever made, and versions of it are still played to this day, despite it first being released for MS-DOS in 1993. Marine Corps [Gen. Charles C. Krulak]() noticed "Doom," its popularity, and the rise in popularity of other games, and decided it should be integrated into Marine Corps training. Krulak’s reasoning was that the game could teach Marines to work together and improve their military thinking and decision-making ability. He ordered the Marine Combat Development Command to develop, exploit, and approve computer-based wargames to train U.S. Marines for "decision-making skills, particularly when live training time and opportunities were limited.” The Marine Corps Automated Information Systems Office secured a copy of "Doom II, even before it was available to the public, and used it to create a new version of the game, one that focused on mutual fireteam support, protection of the automatic rifleman, sequencing of an attack, ammo discipline, and succession of command. This means that the new Marine Corps version of "Doom" *required* team members to work in tandem for a stated tactical objective (you know, like Marines in a fireteam), use ammunition conservatively (presumably even when using the BFG9000), and be prepared to take command when their team leader goes down. It also means that just going into a room full of demons and shooting up the place was no longer an option for the Doomguy fireteam, which consisted of a team leader, two riflemen, and a machine gunner, who were all operating from different computers in different rooms during gameplay. The “Marine Doom” mod for “Doom II” also featured fewer biblical scenarios, instead opting for more realistic missions like those that Marines are specifically called on to perform in real life. These include scenes like the destruction of enemy fortifications, hostage rescue missions, and embassy defense. Eventually, word got out that the Marine Corps had created its own version of "Doom" to train Marines, and the “Marine Doom” modification was made available to the public in 1997. ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty ##### • [A junior enlisted Marine once eloped with Bahrain’s Princess]() ##### • [104-year-old Marine continues tradition for Corps’ 250th birthday]() ##### • [7 of the most realistic military games available]() ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()