Summary
- The BFG-9000 is an iconic weapon in the Doom franchise, appearing in every official game and providing a powerful gameplay experience.
- Variants like the BFG-10K in Quake and the BFG-9000 in Rage 2 offer different takes on the iconic weapon, with varying designs and effects.
- Doom Eternal introduces the BFG-10,000 powered by the BFG-9000, showcasing the evolution and importance of the BFG throughout the franchise.
Many staples make a Doom game, like demons, chainsaws, and first-person shooter action, but one of the most important is the BFG-9000 and its variants seen across the franchise. As fun as it is to rip and tear through demons and undead using shotguns or even the Doom Slayer's bare hands, the BFG remains an iconic video game weapon for many reasons.
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It’s large, destroys every enemy in sight, and fills the player with adrenaline just by using it. It has appeared in every official Doom game, as well as a few other franchises by Id Software. While some versions of the BFG-9000 will always be an iconic part of the franchise, others have proven to be upgrades to the weapon, while others are not as well-known or fondly remembered. These are the best versions of the BFG-9000 across all of its appearances.
9 Quake 3 Arena
Not Much Of An Upgrade From The 9000
Quake 3: Team Arena
- Released
- December, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Quake is considered the sister series to Doom, featuring similar first-person shooter combat and weapons, including the BFG, and Quake 3 Arena is no different. This multiplayer-focused first-person shooter features what is supposed to be an upgraded version of the weapon known as the BFG10K, also known as the BFG-10,000.
While it certainly does the job by decimating an enemy player in one or two hits, it doesn’t necessarily feel like the BFG. More rapid fire and with a small area of effect, the BFG from Quake 3 Arena looks and feels more like an upgraded Plasma Rifle, lacking that charge and massive shockwave that the original gun is known for in other games.
8 Doom 64
More Of The Same But With A Grittier Look
Doom 64
- Released
- April 4, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- FPS
When id Software transitioned from Doom 2 to Doom 64, all the guns got a redesign. The pistol now resembles a Desert Eagle, and the Chaingun has a more sci-fi look. The BFG-9000 was given a more industrial appearance, resulting in a distinct design for the game, but one that isn’t as memorable as the original.
The BFG-9000 continues to fire green energy balls; however, the impact animations diminish the weapon's perceived power and can feel somewhat disorienting. Despite this, it still obliterates hordes of enemies with a single shot, giving players the satisfying visual and tactile experience of multiple demons and undead exploding.
7 Doom
There Is No Going Wrong With The OG Plasma Cannon
Doom (1993)
- Released
- December 10, 1993
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
The original Doom and Doom 2 featured the exact same version of the BFG-9000, which was a massive cubical weapon that fans strove to unlock, much like the iconic chainsaw. While Doom didn’t invent the first-person shooter genre, it revolutionized it with fun and addictive gameplay that made gamers relish ripping and tearing through legions of Hell’s invaders.
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As the Doom Marine battles his way across Mars and through Hell, players can discover the original BFG-9000 in a secret area located in Episode 3, Mission 3. Despite its visual limitations, Doom makes the BFG a worthy pursuit, as its powerful blasts can effortlessly eliminate formidable enemies like the Cyberdemon and the Revenants.
6 Quake 2
The First Introduction Of The BFG-10K
Quake 2
- Released
- December 9, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence, Language
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Quake 2 surprised fans by introducing the BFG-10,000, which features beams projected from the orb that eliminate enemies before the shockwave takes effect. This version of the BFG’s attacks would set a new standard for future Doom and id Software shooter games. It represents the kind of damage that fans had envisioned while playing the original Doom.
The inclusion of the BFG-10K in Quake 2 and Quake 3 is often used to support the theory that Quake and Doom games take place in the same universe. Strangely enough, the BFG-10K in Quake 2 has a rectangular design reminiscent of the original BFG-9000 but with more futuristic elements, such as the blue lights and exhaust ports.
5 Doom 3
The BFG Was Rebooted To Fit The Horror Approach
DOOM 3
- Released
- August 3, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
On the one hand, Doom 3 and the BFG Edition remaster take the Quake 2 idea of how its rounds destroy enemies with beams of energy before exploding, and used environmental shaking to make the iconic weapon feel more impactful. On the other hand, however, this BFG-9000 loses much of its identity by looking more like a generic sci-fi weapon seen in the likes of Halo.
Most of the weapons in Doom 3 were given flashy and futuristic designs, as it was a reboot that not only embraced the horror genre but also mimicked how sci-fi games and movies looked at the time. On the downside, Doom 3's BFG-9000 was critiqued for being a much smaller weapon when the iconic aspect is that the weapon is nearly the size of the Doom Marine himself.
4 Rage 2
Doom Fans Got A Surprise With The Deluxe Edition
Rage 2
- Released
- May 19, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- FPS
On the post-apocalyptic Earth of Rage 2, gamers can enjoy many weapons as they fight bandits, mutants, and monsters in the open-world wasteland, and one of them happens to be the BFG-9000. It's not the game's equivalent to the famous weapon either; id Software recreated the BFG from the original Doom with modern visuals and fidelity.
The BFG-9000 can only be acquired by owners of Rage 2: Deluxe Edition, as it is another first-person shooter franchise developed by id Software. The animation for the weapon even reveals how the BFG-9000 was originally designed: as a shoulder-mounted weapon, a way to explain why the protagonist isn’t knocked off their feet by just firing it.
3 Doom: The Dark Ages
From A Sci-Fi Gun To A Fantasy Crossbow
DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Released
- May 15, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
It is called the Ballistic Force Crossbow, and it’s more of a fantasy weapon in Doom: The Dark Ages, but it still fires green energy rounds that wipe out waves of enemies like a knife through butter. The BFC is the latest addition to the BFG family, which the Doom Slayer uses during his time with the Night Sentinels, fighting the forces of Hell as well as the Eldritch horrors of the Cosmic Realm.
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It is convenient that even without the UAC around, the Doom Slayer still manages to find an identical version of the famous weapon, but that’s part of the over-the-top charm of Doom games. It fits the sci-fi/fantasy and medieval punk style of Doom: The Dark Ages while providing the fastest version of the gun yet, and it still takes out everything in sight.
2 Doom (2016)
There Is No Doom Slayer Without The BFG
DOOM
- Released
- May 13, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- FPS
According to the convoluted timeline of the Doom Slayer lore, it has been a century since the first Hell invasion, so it makes sense that Doom (2016) has a newly designed version of the BFG-9000. Now that the Slayer is an interdimensional warrior charged with divine and hellish energies, this BFG is also much bigger than other variations, and yet he can still wield it with ease.
It’s sleeker, and like in Doom 3, it fits Doom (2016)'s more futuristic take on the game’s world, but the plasma-based blasts are a fusion of classic and modern Doom. The big green orbs are back again, but the beams of energy that project from them to attack Hell’s forces are like green fire and lightning.
1 Doom Eternal
The Biggest Gun In The Universe Is Powered By The Second-Biggest Gun
DOOM Eternal
- Released
- March 20, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
The Doom Slayer is fortunate to wield both the BFG-9000 and the BFG-10,000 in Doom Eternal, as one controls the other. The BFG-10,000, introduced as a planetary defense cannon on Phobos, is featured in the longest campaign of the Doom series. It is so powerful that the Doom Slayer can crack open the surface of Mars with a single blast.
It turns out that the BFG-10,000 is powered by a familiar weapon: the BFG-9000, which permanently becomes part of the Doom Slayer's arsenal in Doom Eternal. Furthermore, id Software updated the weapon's design to include the silver color of the original BFG, enhancing the feeling that Doom Eternal is a celebration of the franchise.
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