At E3 2018, Bethesda announced that players that signed up for a free trial of Quake Champions would be able to continue playing the game, for free, following its official launch. In August, the company extended this offer to all players, making the game fully free-to-play, and now Bethesda is back with some economy and gameplay changes that may bring more eyes to id’s first-person shooter.
Quake Champions‘ December update will mark the end of Backpacks and Chests, the game’s take on loot boxes, and the beginning of a new rewards system centered around a purchasable Battle Pass. Under this new system, players will gain XP, used to unlock rewards, simply by playing Quake Champions and completing Daily and Weekly Challenges.
While this can be pursued at no cost, Battle Pass owners will have the opportunity to earn rewards even faster, as they will have access to additional Challenges. A seasonal Battle Pass can be purchased for 1,000 Platinum, a virtual currency that can be acquired for real-world money, and it will be good for a three month period.
Furthermore, Champion progression is also undergoing some changes. Completing the aforementioned Challenges will reward players with Shards, which can be exchanged for Champion-specific items. “This system will allow players to earn even more rewards,” Bethesda’s announcement states, “and — more importantly — to choose the Champion that their rewards are applied to.”
And finally, the December update will bring a classic game mode to the new shooter, as players will now be able to participate in rounds of Capture the Flag. This new way to play will be housed in a new map, called Citadel, and fans may recognize that it has taken inspiration from Quake Live’s Stonekeep map from 2010.
Describing Quake Champions, our writers have said that it “feels more like a weekend diversion” than a game that will become the go-to first-person shooter for many. However, with its free-to-play status, and this active attempt to get players engaged, perhaps some life can be breathed into it yet.
An official release date for the December update has not yet been revealed, but players can get more details at the Quake website.
