When it comes to competitive online multiplayer shooters, it doesn’t get much more iconic than Quake. id Software’s highly beloved shooter series arguably pioneered the online shooter multiplayer craze that has founded a huge chunk of the gaming industry to this day, after all. After the release of Quake 4 in 2005 for PC, and as an Xbox 360 launch title however, not counting Activision’s unofficial Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, the Quake brand has been largely quiet, beyond people still enjoying the series’ old favourites in the retro chic PC gaming community.
That finally changed tonight, during Bethesda’s E3 press conference. Kicking off their second E3 press keynote in style, Bethesda began their conference with the huge surprise announcement of Quake Champions, an all-new Quake game that aims to bring back the series’ beloved arena-style first-person shooter gameplay, in a modern package. id Software has promised that Quake Champions is being built entirely around the PC, and will sport the developer’s trademark super-speedy gameplay, running at 120hz, and unlocked framerates, along with what’s claimed to be a diverse cast of unique warriors for players to control. Despite the fast and furious shooting though, id Software also believes that the game will be just as appealing to total newcomers as it will be to those who have been playing Quake since its debut two decades ago.
Not much is yet known about Quake Champions, and id Software’s reveal trailer, while sharp, only sported pre-rendered CG sequences, and not actual gameplay. What we can infer however, considering the title, is that Quake Champions will likely be a hero-based shooter, similar to the recent Battleborn from 2K Games and Overwatch from Blizzard Entertainment. It’s also possible that the game is a free-to-play offering akin to something like Tribes: Ascend, considering its proud exclusivity to PC, and apparent exclusive focus on the series’ tried-and-true multiplayer mechanics. Whatever it ends up being, id Software has promised to debut the game in greater detail during this year’s QuakeCon, which runs between August 4th and August 7th.
Keep charging to Eggplante for all major news and updates on Quake.