Well here’s a fun surprise: Id Software is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Quake with a free new episode of 19 new campaign maps.
“Can you believe 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Quake’s release?” id’s Parker Wilhelm writes. “To celebrate three decades of genre-defining FPS excellence, the award-winning team at MachineGames, in collaboration with id Software, is back with a brand-new Quake episode!”
That new episode is called Dawn of the Machine. Once you install this update for the OG Quake, the game will display six single player game choices: Quake, Scourge of Armagon, Dissolution of Eternity, Dimension of the Past, Dimension of the Machine, and Dawn of the Machine. Like many who see this news, I installed Quake for what must be the 1000th time, and it is a delightfully small 1.6 GB on disk, compared to 150+ GB for the latest Call of Duty.
“As the battle-hardened Ranger, players survive a labyrinthine dimension where time folds back onto itself, creating a unique looping structure where each visit in the present reshapes the future,” Wilhelm explains. “Collect runes to unlock previously sealed paths brimming with new routes, encounters and secrets, plus persistent health and ammunition upgrades throughout add a new layer of progression to Quake’s classic gameplay.”
In addition to its 19-map campaign, Dawn of the Machine includes a new soundtrack, new enemy and weapon variants, a dedicated episode hub, three new achievements, and a new deathmatch map.
Dawn of the Machine is a free update to Quake and is available on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, PC via Microsoft Store and Steam, Game Pass, PC Game Pass, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch 2 (via backwards compatibility), and Nintendo Switch.
Related: 20 Years Later, We Still Game in the Shadow of Quake