Quake Gets Free 30th Anniversary Campaign With 19 New Levels

id Software and MachineGames have released a free 30th anniversary update for Quake's 2021 remaster, featuring a new 19-level campaign called Dawn of the Machine, new enemy and weapon variants, replayable levels with time-loop mechanics, and enhanced technical features across all platforms.

Quick Facts

Free update released for Quake 2021 remaster
New campaign episode titled Dawn of the Machine
19 new levels introduced
New enemy variants deployed (Rocket Ogre, Demo Dog, Blood Shambler)
New weapon variants added (Super Axe, Laser Cannon)

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, id Software and MachineGames have released a free update for the 2021 remaster of Quake featuring a new campaign called Dawn of the Machine. The expansion is available immediately across all platforms where Quake is playable: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Microsoft PC Store, Game Pass, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2 (via backwards compatibility), and Nintendo Switch.

Dawn of the Machine introduces 19 new levels developed by MachineGames' "Quake Club"—a dedicated team of developers who create maps in their spare time. The campaign follows Ranger, the protagonist, as he becomes trapped in a time-loop dimension of endless illusion and must escape by destroying a machine believed to shatter the cycle. The expansion features a new soundtrack, a dedicated episode hub, new deathmatch maps, and three new achievements. Gameplay mechanics include new enemy variants—such as the Rocket Ogre, Demo Dog, and Blood Shambler—and new weapon variants including a Super Axe that unleashes lightning on successive strikes and a Laser Cannon that fires ricocheting projectiles.

A key innovation in Dawn of the Machine is its replayable looping structure. As players revisit levels, runes unlock previously sealed paths, new routes appear, new secrets become available, and persistent health and ammo upgrades strengthen the player for successive runs. The expansion also introduces seamless teleportation mechanics that shift player perspective, creating the visual illusion that the map itself is changing, and dimension-shifting puzzles that alter how players navigate environments. The team utilized TrenchBroom, a modern map editor, to create levels of scope that would have been technically impossible on 1990s systems.

Technical improvements accompanying the update include enhanced interpolation to reduce input latency, fixes for camera issues with silent teleporters, separated weapon and view bobbing controls, and improved shadow casting on enemy projectiles. Players can access a new Cheats menu in single-player games and browse the id Vault, a behind-the-scenes gallery featuring development assets, unused content, and playable maps from Quake's earliest development stages.

MachineGames previously developed the critically acclaimed Dimension of the Machine and Dimensions of the Past episodes for Quake. The studio is also known for the recent Wolfenstein reboot series and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Topics

Technology Entertainment

#update #gaming #id Software #MachineGames #campaign #Quake #anniversary #FPS #remaster #free content

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Why This Matters

The update extends the playability of a 30-year-old franchise across nine current platforms without cost, introducing technical innovations (looping level structure, rune-unlocked progression, dimension-shifting puzzles) that were impractical on 1990s hardware. Developers from MachineGames' spare-time "Quake Club" team created the content, demonstrating sustained community involvement in legacy game development. Players across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC receive simultaneous access to the new campaign, new enemy and weapon variants, and technical improvements (reduced input latency, camera fixes, improved shadow rendering), with additional features including a cheats menu and access to early Quake development assets through the id Vault.

Timeline & Sources

Jan 1, 1996

Wire

Original Quake released

Jan 1, 2021

Wire

Quake remaster released by Nightdive Studios

Aug 6, 2026

Wire

Dawn of the Machine campaign announced at QuakeCon and released as free update