Quake Celebrates 30 Years with a Major Content Update

No new Quake title was unveiled to commemorate the franchise’s 30th anniversary at this year’s QuakeCon, but fans of the iconic first-person shooter received a significant update to celebrate the milestone. Developer MachineGames has rolled out an entirely new episode, now available for all versions of the 2021 remaster.

Entitled Dawn of the Machine, this new episode comes from a studio renowned for its work on the rebooted Wolfenstein series and the recent Indiana Jones title. They previously collaborated with id Software and Nightdive Studios to create new episodes for the remaster, and they’ve done it again for this anniversary celebration.

Dawn of the Machine retains the essence of the classic game while introducing fresh enemy types and new weapons, including the super axe and laser cannon. The episode features 19 levels designed for replayability, allowing players to collect runes that unlock new paths in subsequent playthroughs while retaining previously earned health and ammo upgrades.

The update that introduces Dawn of the Machine also includes a vault filled with behind-the-scenes assets from Quake’s development, additional achievements, and a cheats menu. On the multiplayer front, there’s a new deathmatch map to explore.

This announcement arrives at a time when the future of id Software and MachineGames appears uncertain under Xbox’s leadership. Notably, id Software faced significant layoffs in July, shortly after releasing DLC for Doom: The Dark Ages. The direction for both studios remains unclear as Xbox shifts its focus to its major franchises.

Dawn of the Machine is now available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X versions of Quake.

After Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, we might actually see Wolfenstein 3.