Doom Eternal has a secret pistol and you can use a cheat engine to access it

(Image credit: Dave Oshry)

Doom Eternal very nearly had a pistol, which likely would have been the player's starting weapon, but it was cut from the game. However, as New Blood studio lead Dave Oshry discovered, you can still access the pistol in-game using a cheat engine on PC, and it's still pretty damn cool. 

Traditionally, Doom games start the player off with a basic pistol to really sell the power boost of weaponry found throughout the game. Oshry believes this was almost the case in Doom Eternal, but that the pistol "was scrapped because it didn't really fit the combat flow." Instead, the game starts you off with the combat shotgun. This is just speculation on Oshry's part, but it does make sense.The fact that the pistol is fully modeled and animated, not to mention its UI and sound effects, suggests it was removed very late in development. 

Doom Eternal's lost pistol seems to have two firing modes: single-shot semi-automatic and three-shot burst fire. I have to wonder what weapon mods it would have supported if it had been in the game. Ordinarily, it'd be pretty difficult to gussy up a simple pistol, but this is Doom we're talking about. If it can put rockets on an LMG and a grappling hook on a shotgun, I'm sure it could cook up something spicy for a pistol. 

If you want to try the pistol for yourself, Oshry linked to the cheat engine he used to access the pistol, complete with setup instructions. YouTuber Postposterous has also posted a video explaining how to use console cheat commands to break the game in all sorts of fantastic ways, from god mode to the delightfully named "gibalicious" cheat which just straight-up kills all enemies on-screen. 

Here are seven Doom Eternal tips to help you raze hell. 

Doom Eternal Slayer Gates | Doom Eternal Computer password | Doom Eternal BFG | Doom Eternal Cheat codes | Doom Eternal Sentinel Battery  

CATEGORIES
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

Latest in FPS
halflife screenshot showing a headcrab jumping at a player
Half-Life devs worried Gabe Newell "promised things that they couldn't possibly deliver" for the iconic FPS, but "they just didn't know" that they'd be able to do it yet
Former Valve exec recounts the meeting where Half-Life's publisher almost killed the iconic FPS: "Half-Life would quietly die. I was stunned"
FBC Firebreak screenshot for GamesRadar Big Preview showing a character throwing an electric shock grenade in a crowded room
FBC: Firebreak may be Remedy's first live-service game but the Control creators are going about it the right way, confirming that all playable post-launch content "will always be free"
"Valve would never ship another game": Former exec forced Half-Life publisher's hand by saying Gabe Newell and the team would pivot away from game dev
Gordon Freeman
Valve literally gives Half-Life away now, but 27 years ago it was carefully crushing its angry pirates: "None of them had actually bought the game"
FBC: Firebreak gameplay trailer reveal in Future Games Show: Spring Showcase
With an impressive new FBC: Firebreak trailer at the Future Games Show, Remedy confirms a Summer 2025 release window for its co-op shooter set in the Control universe
Latest in News
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"
Fantastic Four: 1234 #2 cover excerpt
Sue Storm and Namor are officially both in Avengers: Doomsday, and fans are wondering if Reed Richards has something to worry about
The First Berserker: Khazan protagonist
The First Berserker: Khazan isn't even out yet, but the new Soulslike RPG already has over 1,300 94% positive reviews on Steam from early buyers
fool me once
Harlan Coben’s new novel is set to be "more of a sequel" to the hit Netflix series Fool Me Once: "I don’t know any time that’s ever happened"
Naoe looks over at a dense, lush, green forest in Assassin's Creed Shadows from a viewpoint
Getting Assassin's Creed Shadows on PS5 and Xbox Series X was all about adding "dynamism" to the open world, but the devs seem most proud about the trees
Schedule 1
Schedule 1 is Steam's latest viral hit – an open-world drug dealing simulator with 98% positive reviews, co-op, and a free sample to get you started