Quake Champions

{{Infobox video game

| title = Quake Champions

| image = Cover_Art_of_Quake_Champions.jpg

| developer = {{ubl|id Software|Saber Interactive St. Petersburg}}

| publisher = Bethesda Softworks

| series = Quake

| engine = {{ubl|id Tech|Saber3D Engine}}

| platforms = Windows

| released = August 18, 2022

| genre = First-person shooter

| modes = Multiplayer

| director = Tim Willits{{cite web |last=Barrett |first=Ben |date=June 18, 2016 |url=http://www.pcgamesn.com/quake-champions/quake-champions-beta |title=Quake: Champions "is not a MOBA" insists id studio director Tim Willits |publisher=PCGamesN |access-date=June 23, 2016}}

| producer = {{ubl|Brandon Riffe|Matthew Charles}}

| designer = Adam Pyle

| programmer = Billy Ethan Khan

| artist = Shinichiro Hara

| composer = {{ubl|Chris Vrenna{{cite web |url=https://www.plusforward.net/quake/post/19983/Chris-Vrenna-writes-OST-for-Quake-Champions/ |title=Chris Vrenna writes OST for Quake Champions |date=January 25, 2017 |access-date=March 25, 2017 |publisher=PlusForward.net}}|Andrew Hulshult{{cite web |url=https://quake.bethesda.net/en/news/y8GnJIQb3qysGc0q6IqUA/ |title=New Soundtrack Preview |access-date=August 1, 2018 |website=Quake |first=Joshua |last=Boyle}}}}

}}

Quake Champions is a 2022 first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth main entry in the Quake series, following 2005's Quake 4. The game was first released in early access on August 22, 2017;{{Cite web |title=Quake Champions is now Free to Play. Get in the Arena and enjoy Early Access now! |url=https://quake.bethesda.net/en/playnow |access-date=2022-02-21 |website=Bethesda.net |language=en}} since August 10, 2018, the game has been free-to-play.{{cite web |last=Hussain |first=Tamoor |date=June 12, 2016 |title=Watch First Trailer for Doom Dev's Quake: Champions |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-first-trailer-for-doom-devs-quake-champions/1100-6440713/ |access-date=June 12, 2016 |website=GameSpot |publisher=}} The game's full version was released on August 18, 2022.{{cite web |last=Bailey |first=Kat |date=August 18, 2022 |title=Quake Champions Finally Exits Early Access Five Years After Its Release |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/quake-champions-finally-exits-early-access-five-years-after-its-release |website=IGN}}

Development

Quake Champions was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016. The game features a large quantity of playable characters, with each having access to one or more 'passive abilities', and one 'active ability'{{Cite web|title=Abilities|url=https://quakechampions.gamepedia.com/Abilities|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Quake Champions Wiki|language=en}} that must be triggered by a key-press. The game was promised to be a "fast paced arena based shooter", and would not be released on consoles due to hardware limitations.

At QuakeCon 2016, creative-director Tim Willits revealed that Quake Champions does not run on the id Tech 6 game engine, but instead works on a hybrid engine made up of id Tech and Saber3D Engine, which means a number of the features seen in Doom are not native to Quake Champions,{{cite news |last=Stead |first=Chris |date=August 11, 2016 |title=Quake Champions 'is not on Id Tech 6' |publisher=Finder.com.au |url=https://www.finder.com.au/quake-champions-not-on-id-tech-6 |access-date=August 12, 2016}} such as virtual reality, Vulkan API, SnapMaps and mod support,{{cite news |publisher=Finder.com.au |url=https://www.finder.com.au/no-snapmap-or-mod-support-for-quake-champions |title=No SnapMap or mod support for Quake Champions |date=August 12, 2016 |access-date=August 15, 2016 |first=Chris |last=Stead}} although mod support is potentially planned after initial release. It was revealed that Quake Champions was originally considered as an expansion to Quake Live, a revamped version of Quake III Arena released in 2010.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/quake-champions-aims-to-bring-characters-to-ids-arena-shooter-will-it-succeed/? |title=Quake Champions aims to bring characters to id's arena shooter, will it succeed? |first=Phil |last=Savage |magazine=PC Gamer |date=October 3, 2016 |access-date=October 3, 2016}} The game went into closed beta on April 6, 2017,{{cite news |last=Peñaflorida |first=Rexly |date=March 30, 2017 |title=New 'Quake Champions' Video Highlights Arnaki, Closed Beta Set For April |work=Tom's Hardware |publisher= |url=http://www.tomshardware.com/news/quake-champions-closed-beta-date,34034.html |access-date=March 31, 2017}} and was released onto Steam's early access program on August 22.

It is stated that the game would feature a free-to-play option, allowing players to play as Ranger, with additional characters available for purchase, similar to the model used in Killer Instinct.{{cite web|last=Hall|first=Charlie|date=March 10, 2017|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/3/10/14877004/quake-champions-free-to-play-full-price-favor-currency|title=Quake Champions will be free, unless you want to buy it|work=Polygon|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=May 31, 2017}}{{cite web|last=Nunneley|first=Stephany|date=March 11, 2017|url=https://www.vg247.com/2017/03/11/quake-champions-will-be-a-free-to-play-title-unless-you-purchase-it/|title=Quake Champions will be free, unless you want to buy it|work=VG247|access-date=June 3, 2017}}

At E3 2017, B.J. Blazkowicz of the Wolfenstein series was announced as a playable character.{{cite web|last=Hall|first=Charlie|date=June 12, 2017|url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/2017/6/12/15780272/quake-champions-adds-b-j-blazkowicz-wolfenstein-e3-2017|title=Quake Champions adds Wolfenstein's B.J. Blazkowicz, announces $1 million tournament|access-date=June 12, 2017|work=Polygon|publisher=Vox Media}}

At E3 2018, Bethesda announced the availability of a free-to-play trial downloadable on Steam. Players who signed up during the free trial period would be able to keep playing for free after the game launch.{{Cite web |last=Wilhelm |first=Parker |date=10 June 2018 |title=Quake® Champions Official Website {{!}} Get into the Quake Champions Free-to-Play Trial! |url=https://quake.bethesda.net/en/news/6vtiowCplmQ66SQKyEGgEu |access-date=June 11, 2018 |website=Bethesda.net}}{{cite web |last=Wong |first=Alistair |date=June 10, 2018 |title=Quake Champions To Get Free Trial This Week Only |url=http://www.siliconera.com/2018/06/10/quake-champions-get-free-trial-week/ |access-date=June 11, 2018 |work=Siliconera |language=en-US}} Early access to the game was available for purchase at $30 on Steam.{{Cite web |last=Dayus |first=Oscar |date=June 10, 2018 |title=E3 2018: Quake Champions Is Free Forever If You Download This Week |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2018-quake-champions-is-free-forever-if-you-dow/1100-6459644/ |access-date=June 11, 2018 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}

Andrew Hulshult announced on his Twitter that he will be composing new music for the game. Hulshult previously composed music for the modification Brutal Doom and Apogee Software titles like 2013's Rise of the Triad and 3D Realms' Bombshell.{{cite tweet|number=1014623560806133760|user=AndrewHulshult|title=I am incredibly honored to be making new music for Quake Champions.|last=Hulshult|first=Andrew|author-link=Andrew Hulshult|date=July 5, 2018}}

During Quakecon 2018, it was announced that Quake Champions would be free-to-play and open to all players on August 10.{{Cite web |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=August 10, 2018 |title=Quake Champions now permanently free-to-play |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/10/17675060/quake-champions-free-to-play-f2p-quakecon-2018 |website=Polygon}} At launch, the game made use of loot boxes containing random cosmetic items. It later transitioned to a battle pass model in December, with players earning "shards" from weekly challenges to unlock new cosmetics.{{cite journal |last=Tarason |first=Dominic |date= December 5, 2018 |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/05/quake-champions-frags-loot-boxes-soon/ |title=Quake Champions frags loot boxes and spawns in battle passes |journal=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |access-date=December 5, 2018}}

Reception

The game has been well-received by fans of the Quake series, but has failed to keep the player's attention for longer than other free-to-play games.{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Kat |date=2022-08-18 |title=Quake Champions Finally Exits Early Access Five Years After Its Release |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/quake-champions-finally-exits-early-access-five-years-after-its-release |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=IGN |language=en}}

The game was nominated for "Fan-favorite Shooter Game" at the Gamers' Choice Awards,{{cite web |last=Glyer |first=Mike |date=November 19, 2018 |title=2018 Gamers' Choice Awards Nominees |url=http://file770.com/2018-gamers-choice-awards-nominees/ |access-date=January 4, 2019 |website=File770 |publisher=}} and for "Best Action Game" at the Titanium Awards.{{cite web |url=https://en.funandseriousgamefestival.com/awards/ |title=Titanium Awards 2018 |publisher=Fun & Serious Game Festival |date=December 10, 2018 |access-date=November 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707230958/https://en.funandseriousgamefestival.com/awards/ |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |url-status=live}}

The game has inspired two demakes on earlier id Tech games: Quake Champions: Doom Edition for the original Doom,{{cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/qcde-brings-modern-style-arena-fps-thrills-to-doom-2|title=QC:DE brings modern-style arena FPS thrills to Doom 2|first=Dominic|last=Tarason|website=Rock Paper Shotgun|date=10 February 2018|access-date=19 June 2025}} and Quake Champions Classic for the original Quake.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/gordon-freeman-joins-a-retro-pandimensional-deathmatch-in-crossover-mod-quake-champions-classic/|title=Gordon Freeman joins a retro pandimensional deathmatch in crossover mod Quake Champions Classic|first=Dominic|last=Tarason| date=20 March 2025|access-date=19 June 2025|website=PC Gamer}}