Quake Dawn of the Machine update adds 19-map anniversary campaign
Quake’s free 30th-anniversary update adds a 19-map campaign, looping progression, new weapons and enemies for existing owners.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
The Quake Dawn of the Machine update is now available free to existing owners, adding a new 19-map campaign for the original shooter’s 30th anniversary. id Software said it made the episode with MachineGames, giving returning players new progression systems alongside the classic game.
The update is more than the campaign: it also includes a dedicated episode hub, hidden secrets, a new soundtrack and one new deathmatch map, according to id Software’s August 6 announcement. Ars Technica also reported that the episode has been added to the remastered Quake campaign list.
How does Quake: Dawn of the Machine work?
The campaign uses a repeating structure in which later trips through areas can change available routes, encounters and secrets. Players collect runes to open paths that had been sealed, while health and ammunition upgrades remain with the player between loops, id Software said.
That makes the new episode a campaign with persistent advancement, rather than a separate roguelite mode. The publisher’s premise places Ranger in a dimension caught in a cycle, seeking to destroy the Nightmare Machine and escape.
New enemies and weapons
id Software said the update introduces variants of established foes, including the Rocket Ogre, Demo Dog and Blood Shambler. It also adds the Super Axe, which gains lightning effects on successive strikes, and the Laser Cannon, whose shots ricochet.
MachineGames previously worked with id Software on the Quake episodes Dimension of the Machine and Dimensions of the Past, according to id Software. Ars Technica reported that the new maps were built by Quake Club, a group that includes MachineGames staff.
What else is in the anniversary update?
- Three new achievements tied to Dawn of the Machine.
- An id Vault featuring playable maps from Quake’s development and unused assets.
- A Cheats menu that can be opened in single-player games.
- Technical and visual fixes across platforms, including changes intended to reduce input latency.
The update is free for owners of Quake on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, the Microsoft PC Store, Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. It is also available on Nintendo Switch 2 through backward compatibility, id Software said.
For players who already own a supported version, the practical distinction is that the 19 new maps belong to the single cohesive campaign, while the deathmatch addition is a separate map. The new episode is listed alongside Quake’s other campaigns in the remastered release, Ars Technica reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.