id Software has pulled the plug on Quake Champions, and the game is now a $10 product on Steam. After nine years of weekly challenges, loot boxes and a rotating store, the company has removed nearly everything that made it a live-service title. The game is still available, but it is no longer free to play. If you owned it before, the new version will appear in your Steam library at no additional cost.
The patch notes are brutal. id has stripped out the battle pass, the weekly and event challenges, the in-game store, the platinum and shard currencies, the loot boxes, the daily login rewards and the champion progression system. Most vanity content is now available to all users. That means the premium skins you bought over the years are now unlocked for everyone else.
The game’s announcement reads as a farewell of sorts. “Today’s update marks a new chapter for Quake Champions as we transition the game from a free-to-play service to a paid application on Steam,” the update reads. “Quake Champions is now available for one low price on Steam. No additional content updates are planned at this time. If you previously played Quake Champions on Steam, the new version will appear in your Steam Library at no additional cost.”
What Got Removed
The full list of changes is staggering. Here is what id has taken away:
- The battle pass
- Weekly and event challenges
- The in-game store
- Platinum and shard currencies
- Loot boxes
- Daily login rewards
- Champion progression (the shard reward path)
- Most vanity content is now available to all users
The company has not said whether the game will receive further updates beyond this transition. The note about no additional content updates suggests this is the end of the road.
The Refund Question
If you recently purchased premium currency, you will be refunded. That is the official word. However, if you spent years dropping cash on skins, the situation is awkward. Everybody else now gets those at no additional cost.
The game has been around since 2017, and it has been through several phases. It started as a free-to-play arena shooter with a rotating roster of champions. Players had to grind or spend money to unlock new characters. The store sold skins, weapons and other vanity items.
Now all of that is gone. The champions are unlocked from the start. There is no battle pass to grind. There is no store to browse. There is no daily login reward to chase. The game is simply Quake Champions, a $10 product with a single purchase.
Classic Skins Are Stock Now
The update also includes some classic skins for Quake Ranger and Doom Slayer. These are now included with the game, so players who wanted them in the past will not need to hunt them down separately. That is a small comfort for longtime fans.
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Battle pass | Removed |
| Weekly / Event Challenges | Removed |
| In-game Store | Removed |
| Platinum / Shard Currencies | Removed |
| Loot Boxes | Removed |
| Daily Login Rewards | Removed |
| Champion Progression | Removed |
| Most Vanity Content | Available to all users |
The Price and the Payoff
The $10 price point is a reasonable entry fee for a game that once required a significant investment to enjoy fully. The game’s core is the arena shooter itself, and that is still intact. The removal of the microtransaction systems means players will not be encouraged to spend more money after the initial purchase.
The game is now a simple package. You buy it, you download it, you play it. There is no subscription, no monthly fee, no season pass. The game exists as a single purchase, and that is a relief for anyone who grew tired of the constant grind.
The Future Is Uncertain
No additional content updates are planned at this time. That is the official stance, and it carries weight. For a game that has been running for nine years, this is a definitive end.
The game will remain in your Steam library if you owned it before. The new version will appear there at no additional cost. If you never bought it, the $10 price is a low barrier to entry. The game is a snapshot of where it stood before the live-service systems were removed.
A Better Game Without the Grind
The irony is that Quake Champions is now a better game without the systems that defined it for years. The loot boxes, the store, the currencies — all of it was designed to keep players engaged. Now that it is gone, the game is cleaner.
There is no daily reminder to log in. There is no weekly challenge to complete. There is no pressure to spend money. The game is simply Quake Champions, and that is a relief.
For the few hundred people who continue to love it, the game is now easier to access. There is no paywall between you and the champions you want to play. The game is a $10 product, and that is a fair trade for the freedom it offers.
The game’s future is uncertain, but its present is clear. It is a $10 product with all champions unlocked, and that is a better deal than it has been in years.
Source material: “Quake Champions takes a shower, shedding all its 2017 live-service grime and becoming a $10 game,” PC Gamer.
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