Quake Receives Massive Update 30 Years After Original Release
After 30 Years, Quake Gets A Huge Update Co-Developed By id And MachineGames
It's been 30 years since the release of Quake, one of the most legendary shooters of all time and one of the best games ever made. In celebration of this anniversary, original developer id Software and MachineGames collaborated on a robust free update for Quake, entitled Dawn of the Machine.
"End the nightmare. Escape the illusion. Ranger is trapped in a dimension of endless illusion, reliving the same violent cycles for what seems like lifetimes, dying thousands of times in a futile attempt to escape. Wearied but unbroken, he has heard rumours of The Nightmare Machine," reads the plot synopsis. "Beyond the hordes of monsters, twisted by an eternity in the Elder realms, lies the Machine. It is believed its destruction will shatter the illusion, finally breaking the loop."
Quake Receives Huge New Update
According to the update's launch trailer, there are 19 new campaign maps, 1 new deathmatch map and an all-new soundtrack created just for Dawn of the Machine.
"Delivering ferocious combat, labyrinthine level design, and nightmarish realms that twist reality beyond recognition, it pushes the legacy of the genre-defining first-person shooter even further, honouring one of gaming's most enduring icons," reads the update's blurb.
The levels are designed to be replayable, with additional secrets to be found on subsequent runs. Also included in the update is a catalogue of old development assets that can be browsed in-game, and a cheat menu.
The update is currently only compatible with the 2021 version of Quake. In addition, the update currently only works on the Steam and Xbox/Microsoft Store versions of Quake (2021), with support for Epic Games and GOG coming later.
Dawn of the Machine has released during a contentious period at id Software. Half of the studio's workforce was laid off by Xbox a couple of weeks ago, including the majority of the team responsible for maintaining the studio's proprietary engine, id Tech.
Subsequent comments by studio head Hugo Martin regarding the 'new' size of id Software have reportedly frustrated figures within the studio, who feel the impact of the layoffs is being minimised by studio leadership.
MachineGames, following the successful release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, seems to have avoided the layoffs which have greatly affected other studios under the Xbox umbrella.