Quake marks 30th anniversary with free Dawn of the Machine expansion
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original 1996 shooter, id Software and MachineGames released a free update titled Dawn of the Machine. The expansion adds a new 19‑map campaign, a dedicated deathmatch arena, a new soundtrack, and a looping‑level structure where collected runes unlock alternate paths. It also introduces new enemy variants such as the Rocket Ogre, Demo Dog and Blood Shambler, plus weapon upgrades like the lightning‑charged Super Axe and ricocheting Laser Cannon.
The content is available at no cost to owners of the 2021 remastered edition of Quake and can be downloaded on all major platforms – PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 – as well as through Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. The release was announced during QuakeCon 2026 and serves as a tribute to the game’s lasting influence on the first‑person shooter genre.
Entities: Bethesda Softworks · Dawn of the Machine · Dawn of the Machine · Dawn of the Machine (expansion) · Dawn of the Machine (expansion) · MachineGames · Nightdive Studios · Quake · Quake · Quake (video game) · Quake (video game) · Ranger
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The expansion introduces new enemy types: Rocket Ogre, Demo Dog, and Blood Shambler. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The release coincides with Quake's 30th anniversary and the QuakeCon 2026 livestream event. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The update was developed by MachineGames in collaboration with id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, with Nightdive Studios also involved. (All three articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The new soundtrack for the expansion was composed by Christian Plogfors. (Article e95d5cd9-8f44-4966-8139-2cf9ec8842c7)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The expansion adds new weapons: the Laser Cannon and the Super Axe. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The update is available for free on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. (All three articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The expansion includes a new deathmatch map and a shared hub for selecting episodes. (Articles 93496438-aefd-487a-9651-55ffe91836c7 and e95d5cd9-8f44-4966-8139-2cf9ec8842c7)
- [● 3 SOURCES] A free update titled 'Dawn of the Machine' for the 2021 Quake remaster was released on August 6, 2026, adding 19 new maps. (All three articles)