Proving Grounds is the opening level of DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations, the campaign expansion that follows the Slayer into a purgatory built from his own pain. Collectibles here are tied directly to the expansion’s rebuilt codex and its exploration systems, which means not every pickup in the level is reachable the first time you walk through it.
Quick answer: Sweep Proving Grounds for codex entries and hidden pickups on your first visit, then return after the story unlocks new Chain Spear traversal tools, because part of the level is sealed behind locks, keys, and abilities you earn later.
What counts as a collectible in Proving Grounds
Revelations leans heavily on its codex. The expansion ships with larger, multi-part codex entries in the style of DOOM Eternal, and the developers rebuilt them so they are more worthwhile to hunt down and read. These entries are written from characters’ points of view, often as journals, mission logs, or intercepted messages, and they cover figures like Thira, Marok, and the Khan Maykr.
Alongside readable lore, the level’s completion is measured through challenges split across three categories. Expect objectives tied to combat, exploration, and environmental puzzles. Clearing these is how the game tracks whether you have fully worked through a space rather than simply passing through it.
Why some collectibles stay locked on your first run
Revelations is built with light metroidvania elements, so Proving Grounds is not a one-and-done corridor. The expansion uses locks and keys throughout, and backtracking opens fresh routes rather than simply resending you down the path you already cleared. A previously blocked door in Proving Grounds can lead somewhere new once you hold the right key or ability.
That gating is deliberate and large in scale. Roughly 30 percent of the expansion’s content stays inaccessible until you finish the main story. If a collectible marker or sealed area in Proving Grounds refuses to open no matter what you try, that is expected behavior, not a bug, and it is a signal to come back later.
The Chain Spear tools that reveal hidden pickups
The new Chain Spear is the key to reaching many out-of-the-way collectibles. It feels underpowered at first and then gains meaningful upgrades as you progress, and several of those upgrades double as traversal tools. Once the Spear’s potential is unlocked, its grapple reaches spots that are closed off early on.
| Tool | What it opens up |
|---|---|
| Throwable Chain Spear | Hits distant switches and objects across gaps |
| Meathook-style grapple | Pulls you to grapple points and ledges out of jump range |
| Dodge / evade | Short repositioning to slip past hazards guarding a pickup |
| Ground slam | Breaks weak floors and clears blocked routes below you |
Because the enemy AI and the level design are tuned around the Spear, the intended path to some collectibles assumes you already own these mechanics. That is another reason a full Proving Grounds clear is realistically a two-visit job.
How to confirm you collected everything
Note: exploration carries real weight in overall progression this time, so a fully cleared Proving Grounds is not just a completion badge. Working through its collectibles and challenges feeds directly into how much of the wider expansion opens up to you.
Treat Proving Grounds as a level you finish in layers. Collect what is open on the way in, keep a mental note of every locked route, and let the Chain Spear and the story’s keys do the rest on your way back through purgatory.
