Quake celebrates 30 years with free Dawn of the Machine expansion

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic first-person shooter Quake, id Software and MachineGames have released a free expansion titled ‘Dawn of the Machine’. Announced during QuakeCon, the update is available for download on Windows 11, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Users of the 2021 Nightdive Studios remaster can access the content via a direct update, though availability on Epic Games Store and GOG is currently pending.

The new campaign features 19 inédit maps and utilizes a narrative mechanic based on time loops. Players, acting as the character Ranger, must navigate an illusory dimension where time continuously resets, using runes to unlock paths and carry over health and ammunition between loops. The expansion includes a new original soundtrack, a Deathmatch map, and redesigned enemy variants such as the Rocket Ogre and Blood Shambler.

MachineGames, known for the Wolfenstein series and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, developed the expansion in collaboration with id Software. The announcement featured industry veteran John Romero, a co-founder of id Software.