Chainsaw (Doom 2016)

This article is about the weapon in Doom (2016). For other versions of this weapon, see:

• Chainsaw
• Chainsaw (Doom 3)

The chainsaw.

The chainsaw returns in the 2016 Doom as a brutal melee weapon, now for the first time featuring the ability to completely dismember, decapitate, and cut directly through enemies. It features a dramatic appearance with a sharp, blade-like metallic chain guard, has a chain studded with savage razors, and harkens back to the original design with a bright yellow coloration. It is a forbidden black market item at the UAC Mars Base due to its lack of practical uses on Mars and an apparent attraction it possesses to people intending to do sadistic damage. As such, it was subject to confiscation by UAC security before the facility was invaded by the forces of Hell.

Tactical analysis

The chainsaw is a quick-kill weapon, capable of destroying powerful enemies like the Hell knight and cyber-mancubus in a single well-placed hit. The weapon is, for the first time, realistically limited by using fuel as ammunition, in order to balance its lethality and to provide a mechanic to encourage its use. Killing enemies with the chainsaw causes a massive drop of ammunition for other weapons, making it a key way to restock supplies. Most and occasionally all of the fuel supply will be used up, depending on the enemy being killed.

There are no upgrades or modifications for the chainsaw.

Multiplayer

The chainsaw is one of the power weapons available in multiplayer, thus sharing traits such as limited ammunition which cannot be replenished and an alternate firing mode that allows other players to be seen through walls via a form of x-ray vision. A fresh chainsaw will have six ammunition available for use. The chainsaw will periodically respawn during matches in specific locations, and is available in Cataclysm, Chasm, Disposal and Helix.

Due to the close-range nature of the weapon, it is best used against players rather than demons. Chainsaw users will lunge towards their target with each swing, and any missed swings will still deplete the chainsaw's available ammunition.

Pre-release behaviors

An apparently incompletely coded ammo counter appeared on the HUD during the E3 2015 demonstration which displayed a static number 6 while the super chainsaw was in use. It was speculated variously that this was meant to eventually serve as the maximum number of uses of the weapon altogether (before it would ostensibly run out of fuel, for example), or the maximum number of glory kills that the weapon could perform before it reverted to a less powerful form. It was also invariably referred to on the HUD as the "super chainsaw." This is replaced by an actual functional fuel gauge in the final released version of the game.