I think the 2016 approach was almost there. They outsourced the multiplayer so they could focus on the campaign, however there was a disconnect between the teams. I think now would be a good time to revisit that idea and take the spirit of dark ages and put it into a separate live service.
Hell maybe that’s the answer: Doom: Death Match. A free to play online shooter that mimics aspects of the classic games. If it’s done with care and love it could be a hit. That could be the next Doom “product” after dark ages.
You’re not wrong, but Quake Arena was good. Maybe not even F2P, but dedicated multiplayer chaos.