Quake gets huge 30th anniversary update with 19 new maps

Quake is 30 years old. Somehow, it’s still getting new stuff. The latest addition is Dawn of the Machine, a new campaign that brings 19 maps, new music, tweaked weapons and altered versions of familiar enemies. It’s a substantial update, not just a few anniversary extras thrown into the menu. There’s also a new Quake collection from Nine Inch Nails, including clothing, accessories and another vinyl release of the original soundtrack. The update arrived as part of QuakeCon and is free for players who already own the 2021 enhanced edition of Quake.

Dawn of the Machine adds 19 new Quake maps

MachineGames is behind Dawn of the Machine, working once again with id Software. That isn’t much of a surprise. MachineGames has already produced extra Quake campaigns, including Dimension of the Past and Dimension of the Machine, so the studio knows exactly what it’s working with.

This time, there are 19 new maps to play through. The basic formula hasn’t changed. You move quickly, blast through enemies, hunt for secrets and work your way through levels filled with doors, switches, traps and interconnected routes. It still feels like Quake. There are some changes, though.

Dawn of the Machine includes modified versions of existing weapons, while several familiar enemies have been adjusted to make encounters play out differently. Players who know the original game inside out won’t necessarily know exactly what’s coming around the next corner.

The expansion also gets its own music and plenty of hidden areas. Story-wise, Ranger finds himself trapped inside another hostile dimension and stuck in a repeating cycle. The goal is to track down and destroy the Nightmare Machine, which sits at the heart of the situation. That’s about as complicated as it needs to be. Quake has always worked best when the story gives you a reason to keep moving and then gets out of the way.

The update is free for enhanced edition owners

You don’t need to buy Dawn of the Machine separately. If you own the 2021 enhanced edition of Quake, the new campaign is included as a free update. It’s available on PC through Steam and the Microsoft PC Store, as well as Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

That makes the enhanced edition the obvious home for new Quake content. Rather than releasing another remaster or packaging the game into yet another anniversary edition, id Software can simply keep adding material to the version that’s already available on current systems. It’s a much simpler setup. Buy the enhanced edition, and the new campaign becomes part of the package.

Nine Inch Nails releases new Quake merchandise

The game update isn’t the only part of Quake’s 30th anniversary. Nine Inch Nails has also released a new collection based on the game. The connection goes back to 1996, when Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails created Quake’s original soundtrack.

That music became a major part of the game’s sound, mixing quieter ambient sections with harsher industrial noise. The new collection includes a T-shirt, hoodie and keyring, along with a fresh vinyl edition of the Quake soundtrack.

None of this is tied directly to Dawn of the Machine. You don’t need the merchandise to access the campaign, and the campaign isn’t part of the merchandise release. They’re simply two separate releases landing around the same anniversary.

Quake is still getting proper new content

Quake first launched in 1996 and quickly became one of id Software’s most important PC releases. At the time, its fully 3D engine was a major technical step. Levels, enemies and environments could be built in ways that weren’t possible in many earlier shooters, and the technology would go on to influence a huge number of PC games.

Now, 30 years later, there’s another official campaign. And it isn’t small. Nineteen maps give Dawn of the Machine enough content to feel like a real expansion rather than a short anniversary bonus. Add the new music, weapon changes, altered enemies and hidden areas, and there’s a fair amount here for anyone who already has the enhanced edition installed.

The best part is that there’s nothing complicated about getting it. If you own the right version of Quake, the new campaign is there. The Nine Inch Nails range is a separate part of the anniversary, focused on the soundtrack and visual branding connected to the original game. So Quake’s 30th birthday isn’t just being marked with another re-release. Players are getting a sizeable new campaign to actually play.

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