Quake receives free 30th anniversary campaign update

A major free update for the classic first-person shooter Quake was released on August 6, 2026, adding a substantial new campaign to celebrate the game's 30th anniversary. The update, titled "Dawn of the Machine," was developed by MachineGames in collaboration with the original creator, id Software, and is available across all modern platforms.

The centerpiece of the anniversary release is a 19-level campaign that sees the player character, Ranger, trapped in a dimension of endless illusion. The new episode introduces new enemy variants, such as the Rocket Ogre and Blood Shambler, and new weapon variants including the Super Axe and Laser Cannon. A key feature is a replayable loop structure where players can collect runes to unlock new paths and retain health and ammo upgrades on subsequent playthroughs.

The update was announced and detailed during a panel at the annual QuakeCon fan convention. The panel included id Software co-founder John Romero, who noted the announcement coincided with the 30th anniversary of his departure from the company. The release also adds a behind-the-scenes gallery of development assets, including some early, unfinished playable levels from Quake's...